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Design Emphasis Winners Spotlight
Below we spotlight a few of the Best of Show winners from previous Design Emphasis competitions and take a look at where they are now. Design Emphasis – shaping the future with Innovative Designs!
Can you tell us about your career since winning Best of Show at IWF?
Ben: Since winning Best of Show at IWF in 2016, I have continued to produce one-of-a-kind custom furniture, as well as numerous smaller production items like spoons, bowls, and cutting boards. I also create artistic and whimsical wood carved sculptures of animals. As I further the exploration of my craft, I intend to blend functional woodworking with artistic design. From high-end commissioned furniture to craft show items and everything between, I am excited to see what comes next.
How did participating in and winning Design Emphasis inspire or affect your career?
Ben: Winning Design Emphasis was a very inspirational experience. Seeing the work of so many other talented students was definitely a highlight for me. The entire process was highly motivational. Being around that many people who all shared the same passion made me excited to continue pursuing the craft.
Can you tell us about your career since winning Best of Show at IWF?
Maggie Jo: Since winning Best of Show in 2018, I completed my education at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, specializing in sustainable furniture design. Following graduation, I launched my own business, selling custom pieces nationwide. Recently, I had the chance to take some time away from the studio and woodshop to embark on an adventure, cycling through seven European countries. While traveling, I discovered that one of the best parts of a great adventure is the joy of coming home. I set off to capture this feeling through my designs. Now settled in Chicago, I plan to dive deeper than ever before into my passion as a designer and woodworker, but this time I will incorporate my passion and love for the outdoors into my pieces to create furniture made by an outdoor enthusiast for outdoor enthusiasts. My goal is to craft furniture that not only evokes the essence of the outdoors but also offers the comforting feeling of homecoming.
How did participating in and winning Design Emphasis inspire or affect your career?
Maggie Jo: Winning Best of Show marked the starting point of my career as a furniture designer and maker. This achievement not only gave me the self-confidence I needed as a designer but also provided the media attention necessary to secure my first clients. It was a pivotal moment that propelled me on the path to success.
Can you tell us about your career since winning Best of Show at IWF?
Orko: Currently, I am finishing up my final year at Appalachian State University, where I’m working towards a bachelor’s in furniture design. My time at university has helped me develop visually appealing forms that showcase simplicity and taught me the skills to fabricate these pieces. By utilizing simple forms in bold ways, I create interesting compositions of negative and positive space, harmonious lines, and a sense of lightness. Upon graduation, I plan to join a company where I can continue to develop my design and woodworking skills and learn about running a furniture business so that one day, I can run my own.
How did participating in and winning Design Emphasis inspire or affect your career?
Orko: Winning Best of Show and 1st place in the Design Creativity category was an amazing experience and a great honor. Meeting all the students and industry professionals gave me great exposure and many connections. The awards I received boosted my confidence as a designer and a woodworker and have inspired me to look into producing my designs.
Can you tell us about your career since winning Best of Show at IWF?
Rebecca: Soon after the 2022 IWF show, I was awarded the Gondring Artist Residency at The Sawtooth School for Visual Art in Winston-Salem. The one year appointment began in January 2023 and continues through December 2023. At Sawtooth, I have the opportunity to be a student, teacher, studio assistant, and to continue my own independent studio practice. These roles have allowed me to deepen my knowledge of woodworking and to share the joy of creation with others. My recent work is an exploration of new techniques and is heavily influenced by the people I’ve met here and the place itself. Sawtooth is showcasing the work of all four current Artists-in-Residence (myself in wood and three others in clay) at a show that opens September 15 in their Davis Gallery. This is my first time creating a show-specific body of work and it is equal parts challenging and exciting. I am grateful for the entirety of my experience at Sawtooth and am planning to continue to teach and explore community connections there into the next year.
How did participating in and winning Design Emphasis inspire or affect your career?
Rebecca: Participating in the Design Emphasis show was a unique and unforgettable experience. Displaying work that was uniquely mine from design through construction was a proud moment. On top of that, the Best of Show award gave me confidence in my work and myself as an artist.
Currently residing in Matera, Mexico City and Washington DC, Sean Yoo was born in Seoul and raised in Los Angeles, making him emblematic of the multicultural, globally fluent designers of his generation. His first career was as a city planner, but a visit to the Noguchi Museum in Queens, New York, inspired him to pursue design.
Yoo immediately enrolled in the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, graduating in 2000 with a degree in industrial design. After a successful debut at the 2001 Salone Satellite in Milan, he launched his studio, Sean Yoo Design. As one of the handful of American designers working globally, he has quickly amassed a diverse group of international clients. In addition to Design Within Reach and Herman Miller, he has worked for Casamania, Jongform, Sur & Plus, Frighetto, Felicerossi, Calia Italia, Next Maruni of Japan, Steelcase Inc, Joined and Jointed UK and Breuer in Mexico City.
In 2002, he became the first non-Italian to win the prestigious Concorso Young & Design Award at the Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan, and in 2006, his work was selected by the Italian Ministry of Cultural Affairs and the Design Museum of Milan to be included in the I.DoT (Italian Design on Tour) 2006–2007. He has also won numerous awards including several I.D. Annual Design Review Awards, IWF Design Emphasis Award, Design Report Award, Grand Prix Award sponsored by Next Maruni of Japan, and the Premio Iconos del Diseño 2009 from Architectural Digest Mexico.
How did participating in and winning Design Emphasis inspire or affect your career?
Sean: I won both the Best of Show for my sofa design and the best category in seating for my chair design. It was a great honor of course, but it also gave me industry wide exposure and opened many doors.
August 25-28, 2026
* Building A opens 7:30 am each day
Georgia World Congress Center,
285 Andrew Young International
BIvd, Atlanta, GA 30313
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