SIT Furniture Design Award
Celebrating Incredible Furniture Design
Ever since someone chose a fallen branch to sit on beside a campfire, furniture has been a constant companion throughout the history of humankind.
Although needs, tastes and fashions change, a love and appreciation of strong design remains a constant; ideas are realized and concepts crafted into pieces of furniture which seem to effortlessly do their job — while still looking good.
Furniture, and how it is used, is so much more than something to sit on, or eat at, or light the darkest night — it represents pieces chosen for function and beauty, decoration and assistance, potentially with us throughout our lives.
Your work is unique, it is special, and we want to reward you for your achievements. At SIT Furniture Design Award, we believe good design deserves to be recognized, celebrated, and shared with a global audience.
SIT Furniture Design Award has also created a digital Innovation Center which will focus on a different topic every year. Each of these topics will highlight invention, examine today’s challenges, and look at ways to overcome them. The winner of the Innovation Center will receive a cash prize to help them realize a prototype, or start the production.
Accessibility design for people with disabilities is something we at the SIT Furniture Design Award are very keen to promote. With today’s advances in technology, communication, skills and training, this is a crucial part of furniture design, demonstrating exciting advances every year. If you have a design that makes furniture more accessible to persons with disabilities, you will have the opportunity to enter this for a special award, more details of which can be found during the submission process.
Our winners are selected by a panel of creative minds, each an industry leader in the design world. To learn more about our jury, read more here.
FURNITURE DESIGN OF THE YEAR – PROFESSIONAL
EMERGING FURNITURE DESIGNER OF THE YEAR — STUDENT
Across eight categories and over eighty subcategories, the SIT Furniture Design of the Year Award seeks talented professional furniture designers whose work adds something special to the subject. To find out more about what we are looking for, and for helpful submission tips, the details can be found on our categories page.
The SIT Furniture Design of the Year winner will receive the SIT Awards trophy, considerable publicity and promotion, coverage, critical acclaim, and much more. To find out how much more, have a look at our benefits page.
Students and young designers are encouraged to apply to our Emerging Furniture Designer of the Year Award, which uses the same category and subcategory titles as the professional award, with the student designs being judged in a different competition.
INNOVATION OF THE YEAR – PROFESSIONAL
Looking at challenges and seeking ways to overcome them is central to furniture design. For this reason, the SIT Furniture Design Award has created an Innovation Center, the winner of which will receive a cash prize of CHF 3’000 to create a prototype or to start production.
Each year, a different topic will be chosen, focusing on projects which highlight invention, closely examine today’s challenges, and find ways to overcome them.
This year, the innovation center focuses on “Furniture with Innovative Materials”, the process of incorporating or using a material that improves resistance, sustainability, or functionality requires talent.
Innovative Materials are influencing and changing the world of Furniture design!
From advanced bamboo materials to upcycling furniture and recycled textiles, innovative materials are today at the center of Furniture design. Designers with an eye on the future are invited to submit their “Furniture Design” made of Innovative materials and introduce concepts that push the boundaries of the most fertile imaginations.
This is a wide definition and the SIT Award actively encourages creativity! Today’s designers have the tools, skill, and vision to rethink space, usage, and durability, and we cannot wait to see your ideas.
SUBMISSION DETAILS
Entries can be submitted as conceptual designs, in progress, or as completed projects. The only restriction is that entries or completed projects must be no more than 5 years old. Submissions can be made as a Professional or as a Student.
Winners are chosen based on a single project – not for a body of work.
ELIGIBILITY
The SIT Furniture Design Awards competition is open to anyone aged 18+ residing anywhere in the world. Professional entries will be judged against other professionals and student entries against other students.
For more information please check the FAQ page or download the SIT Award Entry Guide 2022.
JUDGING CRITERIA
The evaluation process for entries to the SIT Furniture Design Award is based on various judging criteria that are constantly adapted to new technical, social, economic, space atmosphere, and ecological requirements. These criteria are not comprehensive and not all criteria are applicable to each product & design. They simply provide an orientation framework and basis for judging, which is complemented by each individual juror’s expertise and socio-cultural background.
Each member of the Jury is passionately committed to providing a fair evaluation. Jury members are assigned categories based on their specific background and expertise. All projects are viewed and judged randomly and anonymously to ensure unbiased and fair judging.
The judging criteria include the following:
- Innovation — does the product provide something new to the market or supplement/improve an existing product?
- Aesthetics — form, shape, color, texture, finishing, the material used, etc.
- Functionality — ease of use, safety, maintenance, etc.
- Ergonomics — the product’s interaction with the user
- Durability — the quality and longevity of the design
- Impact — the benefit delivered to the user and/or society by the product
- Utility — does the product meet the intended purpose and needs of the user?
- Ecological compatibility — potential environmental and/or ecological impact
- The reality of production — how realistic is it, technically and economically, to develop and market this product large scale?
- Emotional quotient — in addition to fulfilling its practical purpose, does the product create a sense of enjoyment, and satisfaction?
SCORING BOARD
SIT Furniture Design Award uses a Scoring System between 10-100 points.
ENTRY FEES
- Professional CHF 200 incl. VAT ( approx: US$220)
Same Product in additional categories at a 50% discount - Student CHF 100 incl. VAT ( approx: US$110)
Same Product in additional categories at a 50% discount
No Further Fees: Unlike some other design awards and competitions, there are no further fees for winning the award and everything listed in the winner’s benefits will be provided free of charge.
DEADLINES 2022
- SIT Furniture Design Award 2022 is open
- 15% Early Fees discount until August 15th, 2022
- 10% Extended Early Fees discount until September 18th, 2022
- Regular Deadline: November 30th, 2022
- Final Deadline: January 15th, 2023 (10% late fee applies) till closure on 28th February 2023
