About NEXT
Talent Management is the strategic organizational process that supports you in hiring, developing and assessing your business's most important asset, your people.
Open image tooltipWhat’s NEXT in office design? Are your design students ready?
WELCOME TO THE 9TH ANNUAL STEELCASE NEXT STUDENT DESIGN COMPETITION FOR 2021
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. Even companies who will primarily be in the office will encounter hybrid work and that means people will be collaborating with a blend of remote and co-located teammates more than ever before.
Challenge your undergraduate students to imagine the workplace of the future. The 9th Annual Steelcase NEXT Student Design Competition will be a workplace environment of approximately 15.000 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 and incorporate this competition into your 2021 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 2021 competition.
(NEW) 2021 NEXT Contest Overview + Program
(NEW) 2021 Floor Plans
4CC_7th Floor PDF
4CC_8th Floor PDF
(NEW) 2021 AutoCAD Files
*Some versions of Internet Explorer are not compatible for download. Please use Google Chrome to download these drawings.
4CC_7th Floor ACAD file
4CC_8th Floor ACAD file
More Information
Key Dates
Key Dates
Key Dates
- (Mid-August) – 2021 NEXT resources (plan, etc.) loaded on our competition website
- September 7 – Competition and open registration begins (all students must individually register for the competition)
- September 13 – Question + Answer period begins
- October 1 – Registration and Q+A periods both close
- December 8 – All submissions are due by 5pm PST
- December 15 – All submissions distributed to judges for review
- January 11-12 (2022) – Judges meet to select semifinalists and honorable mentions
- January 14 – Announcement of semifinalists and honorable mentions
- February 21-23 – Semifinalist presentations to judges at Steelcase Headquarters
- February 25 – 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.
2021 Winners and Judges
Winner
Winner
Elliott Beach | Maryville University Professor: Megan Myers
Semi-Finalists
Semi-Finalists

Juliana Schwartz | Kansas State University; Professor: Michelle Wempe | View work
Oral Presentation

Molly Taylor | Mississippi State University; Professor: Lyndsey Miller | View work
Oral Presentation

Morgan James | California State University Long Beach; Professor: Eduardo Perez | View work
Oral Presentation

Nevi Keser Gruskin | California State University Long Beach; Professor: Von Dominguez | View work
Oral Presentation
Honorable Mentions
Honorable Mentions
Abby Sayers | Purdue University; Professor: Barbara Young
Bryce Delaney | George Washington University; Professor: Diana Araoz-Fraser
Jenna Dohy | California State University Long Beach; Professor: Von Dominguez
Sienna Simmons | University of Wisconsin – Madison; Professor: Jennifer Meyers
Vanessa Nguyen | University of Minnesota; Professor: Carol Erklouts
Judges
Judges

Pictured from left to right: Eydie Voss, Erika Moody, Bill Bouchey, Steven South, Sandi Rudy, Mary Cheval, and Holly Christian
Professional Judges Panel (2021):
Bill Bouchey | HOK | Los Angeles
Erika Moody | Helix | Kansas City
Eydie Voss | Steelcase | Orange County
Holly Christian | Little | Charlotte
Mary Cheval | Ware Malcomb | Orange County
Sandi Rudy | Cushing Terrell | Austin
Steven South | Spector Group | New York City