CINCINNATI — Kassandra Avila, a student at Cégep de Trois-Rivières in Quebec, took home the grand prize in Formica’s FORM Student Innovation Competition. The 2026 competition invited students to design a furniture piece interpreting the theme “Mood-Boosting Design.”

Avila’s award-winning entry, VIVO, is a versatile furniture piece primarily designed for children that supports a range of activities, encouraging creativity, play and self-expression while fostering independence and exploration. Thoughtfully designed for children of varying sizes, its components can be arranged to suit different needs and engage users in multiple ways. With its rounded forms and soft blue and white palette, VIVO creates a calming, luminous atmosphere that inspires joy.

In addition to receiving a $2,000 cash award, Avila’s VIVO will be displayed at NeoCon 2026, June 8-10 in Chicago.

Two entries tied for second place, each earning their student designer a $1,000 cash prize: The Foam designed by Émile Tessier from Cégep Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu in Quebec and Lumine by Vania Lau of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana.

The Foam draws inspiration from the light, fleeting quality of soap suds to create a playful, practical furniture piece designed to spark wonder, encourage creativity and support short-term activities in educational and child-focused spaces.

Lumine is an all-in-one bedside table designed to create a calm, clutter-free nighttime experience with a built-in lamp emitting a gentle glow and features a pull-out lap desk with integrated storage.  

Third place and $500 cash prize went to Nicholas Luter from Ringling College of Art & Design in Sarasota, Florida, for The Pylon Pets described as a versatile seating system featuring stylized dog and cat silhouettes inspired by Art Deco geometry. Blending whimsical sculpture with everyday function, the stackable chairs are designed to make seating a playful experience and bring joy to kid-centric public spaces.

Six other top 10 finishers were named honorable mentions, including:

• Maryssa Baril from Dawson College
• Fátima Cervantes from Universidad de Monterrey
• Faith Schneider from Ohio State University
• Miguel Angel Aguilera Saenz from Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez
• Natalie Darbonne from Middle Tennessee State University
• Grace McCoy from Ohio State University  

Formica plans to launch the 2027 FORM Student Innovation Competition in August.