Finalists have been named in the 2022 IWF Design Emphasis competition for U.S. college students. Seventy-five entries were whittled down to 48 finalist projects entered by 40 students.

Sponsored by the IWF and its owners WMIA and WMMA, the Design Emphasis competition affords students a platform to demonstrate design skills and talent in an independent adjudication conducted by furniture industry designers, manufacturing and retail executives, and representatives from the design media community. 

Among previous Design Emphasis winners are internationally acclaimed furniture designer Ini Archibong, and design artist Christopher Stuart. 

The competition provides a global stage housed in an international trade show environment where students from across the U.S. engage in idea exchange, make key career contacts and capture the attention of the design community.

The finalists

Finalists and their instructors are invited and encouraged to attend IWF 2022 where their projects will be displayed for final judging in the Design Emphasis Gallery on the show floor. Winners will be announced in the gallery on Tuesday, August 23 at 3:30 pm.

The finalists, their projects, and the colleges and universities in which they are enrolled are:

1. Allen Audette Jr | Vermont Wood Working School | Category: Accent Tables
2. Chelsea Cheung | Art Center College of Design | Category: Seating
3. Tyler Cook | Appalachian State University | Category: Design Creativity
4. Taely Freeman | University of Kentucky | Category: Seating
5. Liam Glynn | Buffalo State College | Category: Case Goods (2 entries)
6. Sophia Goos | Bucks County Community College | Category: Case Goods
7. Huston Hamlin | Appalachian State University | Category: Case Goods
8. Seth Hodges | Appalachian State University | Category: Design Creativity
9. Isabella Iguchi | Columbus College of Art and Design | Category: Commercial/Office Furniture
10. Rebecca Juliette-Duex | Haywood Community College | Category: Design Creativity
11. Jon Kannapell | Appalachian State University | Category: Commercial/Office Furniture
12. Banner Knowles | Appalachian State University | Category: Design Creativity
13. Seth Lawrence | Appalachian State University | Category: Case Goods, Design Creativity, and Seating (3 entries)
14. Litian Li | Buffalo State College | Category: Accent Tables and Commercial/Office Furniture (2 entries)
15. Austin Liebgott | Appalachian State University | Category: Accent Tables
16. Hunter Locker | University of Kansas | Category: Accent Tables
17. Johannes (Shengyuan) Lu | Art Center College of Design | Category: Seating
18. Duncan MacLeslie | Hennepin Technical College | Category: Accent Tables
19. Elaine Mansure | Appalachian State University | Category: Case Goods
20. Austin Marion | Appalachian State University | Category: Case Goods
21. Mia Martin | Appalachian State University | Category: Accent Tables
22. Haroon Matties | James Madison University | Category: Design Creativity
23. Cam McGookey | Herron School of Art and Design | Category: Accent Tables
24. Alecia Munnings | James Madison University | Category: Design Creativity
25. Tomoki Nomura | Art Center College of Design | Category: Seating
26. Mason O'Connor | James Madison University | Category: Seating
27. Daniel Robinson | Haywood Community College | Category: Accent Tables and Seating (2 entries)
28. Madison Schaefer | University of Kansas | Category: Accent Tables
29. Nathan Sheu | California College of the Arts | Category: Design Creativity
30. Annie Sinchai | Herron School of Art and Design | Category: Case Goods
31. Ella Spillman | University of Kansas | Category: Accent Tables
32. Dylan Timoney | Appalachian State University | Category: Commercial/Office Furniture and Seating (2 entries)
33. Lilly Tomandl | Herron School of Art and Design | Category: Accent Tables
34. Ethan Urquhart | Edinboro University of Pennsylvania | Category: Design Creativity
35. Asher Vasa | Appalachian State University | Category: Case Goods
36. Nicole Wong | California College of the Arts | Category: Case Goods, Design Creativity, and Commercial/Office Furniture (3 entries)
37. Xiaorui Yin | Art Center College of Design | Category: Seating
38. Amanda Yoder | Haywood Community College | Category: Case Goods
39. Soojung Yoo | Art Center College of Design | Category: Commercial/Office Furniture
40. Yujia Zhong | Art Center College of Design | Category: Seating 

IWF 2022 Design Emphasis participating schools:
Schools with Finalists appear in Bold Face Type.
First-time participating schools appear in Italic Type.
Appalachian State University
Art Center College of Design
Auburn University
Bucks County Community College
Buffalo State College
California College of the Arts
Columbus College of Art & Design
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
Fox Valley Technical College
Haywood Community College
Hennepin Technical College - Brooklyn
Herron School of Art & Design
James Madison University
Massachusetts College of Art and Design
NC State University
Rhode Island School of Design
Savannah College of Art & Design
The Krenov School, Mendocino College
University of Hawaii-Manoa
University of Kansas
University of Kentucky
University of New Hampshire
Vermont Woodworking School at Northern Vermont University

IWF 2022 Design Emphasis judges:
Jackie Hirschhaut | VP of Public Relations & Marketing, American Home Furnishings Alliance
Kelly Peterson | Group Advertising Director, Hearst Integrated Media
Gat Caperton | CEO, Gat Creek
Ethan Abramson | Owner, Ethan Abramson Furniture
Leigh Kivowitz Spencer, LEED GA | Managing Partner, Alabama Sawyer
Cliff Spencer | Founding Partner, Alabama Sawyer
Hoa Vo, Ph.D., DEC, IES, ACM | Assistant Professor, Welch School of Art and Design, GA State University