Tabletop Challenge: Student Design Competition 2024

The 2024 Collab Design Excellence Award honoree and the inspiration for the Collab Student Design Competition is Naoto Fukasawa, known for his minimalist and functional approach to design. Fukasawa imbues everyday objects with a sense of harmony, often drawing inspiration from the natural world.

Design students were asked to create a “tabletop piece,” which could be dinnerware, serve-ware, or tabletop accessories that address the design concepts in the work of Fukasawa.

Collab received eighty-four entries from eight design programs including Drexel University, Jefferson University, Parsons-The New School, Pratt Institute, Rochester Institute of Technology, Tyler School of Art & Architecture - Temple University, University of Illinois Chicago, and University of Pennsylvania.

 Design professionals who judged the 2024 Competition included:

·       Paolo Cravedi – Vice President for Wholesale at Heller Furniture

·       Josh Longo - Senior Director of Design for Hardgoods at Crate & Barrel

·       Bonnie Mackay - Consultant, Former Dir. of Creative Marketing/Merchandising at MoMA

·       Yuka Morihata - CEO of Morihata Int’l and owner of Rikumo

·       Donald Strum - President of Michael Graves Design 

Students, faculty, and Collab members logged on to an afternoon Zoom presentation on November 20th in which the judges evaluated student submissions based on: evidence of applied research and process; originality and creativity of the concept; and ability to be manufactured.

The following winners were selected to receive cash prizes and a one-year Museum membership:

FIRST PLACE - Wobble Napkin Holder by Manuel Luna Jr., University of Illinois, Chicago

Wobble Napkin Holder by Manuel Luna Jr.

SECOND PLACE – Venn Plate by Valeria Oliveros Largo, Parsons - The New School

Venn Plate by Valeria Oliveros Largo

THIRD PLACE – Rice Cup and Paddle by Aiden Spicer, Rochester Institute of Technology

Rice Cup and Paddle by Aiden Spicer

FIRST HONORABLE MENTION – Easy Tray by Mengyi Chen, University of Pennsylvania

Easy Tray by Mengyi Chen

SECOND HONORABLE MENTION – Cadence by Nina Collins, Parsons – The New School

Cadence by Nina Collins

Collab also would like to recognize a special award for excellence to Kayltin Lu, Drexel University for Mabu Cups.

Mabu Cups by Kayltin Lu