Wilsonart Design Competition

The School of Interior Design and the Creative School's Design + Technology LAB were chosen as the host institution for the 2019 Wilson Chair Design Competition. For the past nine years Wilsonart, and Grace Jeffers, have chosen one design school to work with for an internal chair competition. The objective is for each student to design and prototype a chair that celebrates the use of Wilsonart laminate.

Inspired by contemporary fine art compositions, students will visually interpret the stylistic, expressive, and functional elements and principles of contemporary art to inform the design of a chair. Beyond form and function, a variety of technical and practical considerations in the materiality of laminates will be addressed.

The winning chair, and runner-up, were exhibited at the 2020 International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York City. 

• To design and prototype a finely crafted chair that:
  
• Thoughtfully accounts for proportion, scale, anthropometry, and ergonomic considerations;
• Develop a design that is conceptually well developed and relates to the 2019 theme
• Develop a design that celebrates the use of Wilsonart laminates; and
• Develop a design that exemplifies design, fabrication, presentation, and overall craft at a professional level.