INDD Student Finalists Attend IWF Design Emphasis 2024 Student Design Competition

Katherine Semler ’24, Hantao Shao ’22 and Haoren Men ’22 were finalists in the competition, which is North America’s largest woodworking event. IWF Design Emphasis is widely acclaimed as one of the foremost furniture design competitions for U.S. students.

Sponsored by the IWF and its owners, the competition offers college and university design students an opportunity to demonstrate talent and originality before a judging panel of furniture industry designers, manufacturing and retail executives and members of the trade press who have design-oriented backgrounds.

Entries are judged on the basis of design (40 percent), adaptability to volume production (20 percent), marketability (20 percent) and workmanship (20 percent). Finalists are selected in each of five categories, including Accent Furniture, Case Goods, Commercial/Hospitality Furniture, Design Creativity and Seating. Cash prizes are awarded to the best of show as well as to the winners of merit and honorable mentions awards in each category.

Semler’s “Serpentine Cellar,” a wine rack blending artistry with functionality, was selected as the merit award winner in the Design Creativity category. Featuring an S-shaped design, the rack included circular integrated spacers to hold wine glasses, offer storage and provide display options.

Shao was selected as a finalist in the seating category for his “Tri-Chair,” a contemporary take on traditional rocking chair design. Men’s finalist design was a “PAC-MAN Bookshelf,” entered in the Case Furniture category. Shao and Men are both current Master of Industrial Design students.