About NEXT
What’s NEXT in office design? Are your design students ready?
WELCOME TO THE 11TH ANNUAL STEELCASE NEXT STUDENT DESIGN COMPETITION FOR 2023
To create the best possible hybrid work experience, organizations will want to offer a range of spaces and technology solutions to easily support diverse types of collaboration. The future of the workplace is hybrid and so is the future of collaboration.
Challenge your interior design students to imagine the workplace of the future. The 11th Annual Steelcase NEXT Student Design Competition will be a workplace environment of approximately 11.000 SF intended to support the changing work behaviors and expectations of the workplace. Have your students prepared to respond to the ever-changing demands of workplace design, inclusive design principles, and incorporate this competition into your 2023 fall curriculum. Participants will have the chance to win a trip to Steelcase, present to professional judges, and ultimately compete for both cash and product prizes.
To participate, email us at design4next@steelcase.com
For more information on the competition, please review information from last year’s competition at www.steelcase.com/design4next
The future is theirs to create!

Resources
Shown are (NEW) resources for the 2023 competition.
(NEW) 2023 NEXT Contest Overview + Program
(NEW) 2023 AutoCAD Files
*Some versions of Internet Explorer are not compatible for download. Please use Google Chrome to download these drawings.
More Information
Key Dates
Key Dates
Key Dates
- (Mid-August) – 2023 NEXT resources (plan, etc.) loaded on our competition website
- September 5 – Competition and open registration begins (all students must individually register for the competition)
- September 11 – Question + Answer period begins
- September 29– Registration and Q+A periods both close
- December 6 – All submissions are due by 5pm PST
- December 13 – All submissions distributed to judges for review
- January 16-17 (2024) – Judges meet to select semifinalists and honorable mentions
- January 19 – Announcement of semifinalists and honorable mentions
- February 19-21 – Semifinalist presentations to judges at Steelcase Headquarters
- February 23 – Announcement of winner
Prizes
Prizes
Grand Prize (1)
- $2,500 for the student.
- $2,500 contribution to school’s design program or to a charity of their choice.
- All expenses paid trip to Steelcase University to present project to judges panel, meetings with Steelcase executives and other learning opportunities. Expenses include flights to Grand Rapids, MI, hotel accommodations, meals and transportation during the stay.
- Custom ordered Think or SILQ chair.
- Recognition as the grand prize winner in select Steelcase marketing.
Semi-Finalist (4)
- $1,250 for each semifinalist not selected for Grand Prize (4)
- $1,250 contribution to school’s design program or to a charity of their choice for each semifinalist not selected for Grand Prize (4)
- All expenses paid trip to Steelcase University to present project to judges panel, meetings with Steelcase executives and other learning opportunities.
- Custom ordered Think or SILQ chair.
- Recognition as a semifinalist in select Steelcase marketing.
Honorable mention
- Custom ordered Think or SILQ chair.
- Recognition as an honorable mention in select Steelcase marketing.
2022 Winners and Judges
Winner
Winner
Madeline Magee | Arizona State University
Professor: Cheyne Brown
Semi-Finalists
Semi-Finalists

Addison Cameron | University of Minnesota
Professor: Shawn Gaither

Chloe Cobb | Arizona State University
Professor: Cheri Jacobs

Henry Hammes | Kansas State University
Professor: Michelle Wempe

Sarah Olney | University of Minnesota
Professor: Carol Erklouts
Honorable Mentions
Honorable Mentions
Bryanna Mcghee | University of Manitoba; Professor: Tamara Nyssola
Cece Witherspoon | George Washington University; Professor: Matthew Stone
Christa Gorman | Kansas State University; Professor: Michelle Wempe
Jamie Campbell | California State University – Long Beach; Professor: Von Dominguez
Lily Boggan | Mississippi State University; Professor: Lyndsey Miller
Judges
Judges

Pictured from left to right: Jennifer Tart Thompson, Laura Duenas, Matt LoPresto, Bob Varga, Sarah Doriani, Diana Pisone, and Ashley Engle.
Professional Judges Panel (2022):
Ashley Engle | Steelcase | Austin
Bob Varga | SmithGroup | Detroit
Diana Pisone | Stantec | Chicago
Jennifer Tart Thompson | Corgan | Austin
Laura Duenas | Perkins&Will | Boston
Matt LoPresto | IA Interior Architects | Philadelphia
Sarah Doriani | Lamar Johnson Collaborative | St Louis