design awards

High Point, NC, Nov. 3, 2023 — Attention all professional designer/makers and serious woodworking students. Do you have a project that is exceptional, one that you are extremely proud of? Enter it in the International Society of Furniture Designers (ISFD) 2024 INNOVATION + DESIGN juried competition. Deadline is Dec. 20, 2023. The exhibit showcasing the finalists’ entries will be open at the American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame, 311 S. Hamilton, High Point from April 4-17, in conjunction with Spring High Point Market. The winners will be announced at the Meet the Designers reception on April 14.
“INNOVATION + DESIGN gives professional furniture artisans and woodworking students an excellent opportunity to showcase their work at the High Point Market, the world’s largest and most important home furnishings event,” said David Blair, executive director of ISFD. “Past participants shared that the connections they made at Market—both with other designer-makers and High Point Market attendees—have been invaluable. This year, our exhibit will be held in the Home Furnishings Hall of Fame, a beautiful new facility located right in the heart of the Market district, a convenient location that will get a lot of traffic.”
This highly competitive furniture industry sponsored event is intended for professional makers/designers who create their own product and the next generation of serious woodworking students who are anticipating a career in the custom wood and related home furnishings industries. It is designed to showcase the products and designs of the top independent and student makers in the accessories, dining room furniture, lighting, occasional storage, occasional tables, and seating categories.
Professional and student finalists will receive a certificate of merit and will be entered into the Maker/Designer or student category of the 2024 ISFD Pinnacle Awards. Category winners will receive $250, and the Best of Show winner will receive $1000. All winners will receive free manufacturing time in the Congdon Yards Generator to work on any project of their choice. The entry fee is $50 each, entrants can submit multiple entries in multiple categories.
For the judging, a panel of ISFD board members and trade experts representing various sectors of the industry will review the entries and select the finalists. Once selected, the finalists’ projects will be shipped to High Point for a final round of in-person judging to select winners in each category.
For complete entry details please visit 2024 INNOVATION + DESIGN.

Limited seating, reserve tickets now for Oct. 16th in the Loft at Congdon Yards in High Point
High Point, N.C. Sept. 5, 2023— As the suspense builds, everyone wants to know who will be the next International Society of Furniture Designers (ISFD) Pinnacle Awards winners. This is the industry’s greatest honor bestowed on exceptional professional and student home furnishings and textile designers. Experience “Untamed Minds,” a remarkable evening saluting this year’s top designers with Kaitlin Petersen, editor in chief of Business of Home (BOH), as the keynote speaker and Bill McLoughlin, editor in chief of Furniture Today, as the master of ceremonies. The Gala will take place on Monday, October 16, 5:30-9:45pm in the Loft at Condon Yards, 410 W English Rd, High Point. A portion of the ticket sales will benefit the ISFD Foundation Scholarship Fund which supports gifted student designers from schools across the country. Seating is limited, tickets are available at isfd.org.

San Francisco Design Week (SFDW) returns for its 17th edition from June 6-11 with a series of in-person talks, gatherings, tours, and online programming, bringing people and ideas together across the region. Celebrating with the transformative theme “Plot Twist”, the design festival highlights the Bay Area’s global reputation of design leadership and its distinct culture of innovation, one which advances the lives of billions of people across the world. This year’s timely concept is an opportunity to gather and discuss inspiring stories through the lens of design – complete with unexpected turns, chance encounters, bold characters, and thrilling outcomes. Design visionaries from some of the region’s leading tech firms discussing current design debates include: Uber, IBM, Accenture Song, IDEO, and many others.