ATLANTA, GA - Winners of the 2012 Design Emphasis awards, a contest aimed at furniture design students, were announced Tues., Aug. 21 during a dinner at the Georgia World Congress Center during the International Woodworking Machinery & Furniture Supply Fair (IWF).

Design Emphasis is an awards program geared toward offering design students an opportunity to demonstrate not only their talent but also originality before a judging panel of furniture industry designers, manufacturing and retail executives, and members of the trade press who have design-oriented backgrounds.

Out of 150 entries from design schools across the country, 50 were choosen as finalists in the following categories: Accent Furniture/Tables; Commerical/Office/Hospitality; Case Goods; Design Creativity and Seating. A team eight judges reviewed each project based on the following criteria: design, manufacturing, marketability and workmanship.

Design Emphasis winners:

Commerical/Office/Hospitality -- Samantha Mallard, Haywood Community College

Accent Furniture/Tables -- Brandon Skupski, Haywood Community College

Seating -- Josh Goldstein, Kansas State University

Design Creativity -- Ini Archibong, Art Center College of Design

Case Goods --James Ellis, Western Piedmont College