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Formica Corporation has opened entries for its 10th annual FORM Student Innovation Competition, challenging the next generation of architects and designers to put color at the center of original furniture concepts.
The 2027 competition, themed “Color as the Main Character,” is open to students studying architecture, industrial design and interior design in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Entries will be accepted through Feb. 19, 2027.
This year’s theme asks students to explore color as a defining element of design rather than simply an accent, examining how intentional color choices can influence emotion, interaction and the overall experience of a space.
“Color is a powerful force in design, one that has the ability to influence emotion, guide interaction, and shape the way people experience spaces around them,” said Meghan Howell, North American design and creative director at Formica Corporation. “We’re excited to see how students embrace color by putting it at the center of their designs, using thoughtful, bold and unexpected choices to create pieces that are both meaningful and memorable.”
Participants must develop an original furniture design incorporating at least three Formica Brand or FENIX productsand submit a project statement and color rendering illustrating the concept.
A panel of design industry professionals and members of Formica’s design team will evaluate the entries, with winners scheduled to be announced in mid-May.
The grand prizewinner will receive $2,000, and the winning design will be fabricated and displayed at NeoCon 2027 in Chicago. Second place will receive $1,000 and third place $500. All three winners will be invited to attend NeoCon as Formica’s guests, providing an opportunity to connect with design professionals and introduce their work to the commercial interiors community.
For the surface and panel industry, FORM offers an early look at how emerging designers are approaching decorative surfaces, material selection and color. By requiring students to incorporate commercially available surface materials into their concepts, the competition also connects design education with the materials and manufacturing technologies students will encounter as working architects and designers.
The current FORM competition traces its roots to a 2008 Formica initiative that invited prominent designers and architects, including Zaha Hadid, Michael Graves, Bernard Tschumi and Massimo Vignelli, to create works using Formica materials. The student competition has since evolved into an annual platform focused on emerging design talent and new approaches to furniture and surface applications.
Entries for the 2027 FORM Student Innovation Competition are open from Aug. 20, 2026, through Feb. 19, 2027. Competition rules, resources and entry information are available through Formica's FORM Student Innovation Competition website.
