Congratulations to the winners of the 2026 FORM Student Design Competition
Please check back in August for information about the 2027 FORM Student Innovation Competition, including how to apply.
The 2026 FORM Studcent Innovation Competition invited students to design a furniture piece interpreting the theme “Mood-Boosting Design”.
Prizes
The grand prizewinner will receive a $2,000 cash award and the fabricated design will be displayed at NeoCon 2026 in Chicago. The two winners who tied for second place will each receive a $1,000 cash prize and the third-place winner will receive $500. The winners are all invited to join Formica Corporation at NeoCon 2026 for a chance to network with industry professionals and get a taste of the design community.
About The Competition
The FORM Student Innovation Competition is a modern take on the original “FORM: Contemporary Architects at Play” challenge, held by Formica Corporation in 2008. Ten world-renowned architects, including Zaha Hadid, Michael Graves, Bernard Tschumi and Massimo Vignelli, constructed new works of art from Formica® Brand products.
Winners of the 2026 FORM Student Innovation Competition are:
Grand Prize Winner:
Kassandra Avila from Cégep de Trois-Rivières in Quebec, Canada, “VIVO”
About the design: “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.
Second Place (Tie):
Émile Tessier from Cégep Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu in Quebec, Canada, “The Foam”
About the design: “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.
Vania Lau from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, “Lumine”
Third Place:
Nicholas Luter from Ringling College of Art & Design in Sarasota, Florida, “The Pylon Pets”
About the Design: “The Pylon Pets” is 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.
Honorable mentions
In no particular order, the other top 10 finishers were:
- Maryssa Baril from Dawson College
Learn more about Maryssa - 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