Design students from The Ohio State University participated in the 2026 WANTED Design Schools Workshop held during the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York City, joining emerging designers from around the world in an intensive collaborative design experience. This was the third year that Design students have been a part of this international workshop series.

Accompanied by Associate Professor Amanda Huynh, participating students were selected through student competitions:

• Izzy Li (Industrial Design, Class of 2028)
• Jack Low (Industrial Design, Class of 2027)
• Maya Zaveduk (Interior Design, Class of 2027)
• Sydney Greenwell (Industrial Design, Class of 2026)
• Joe Christiano (Industrial Design, Class of 2026)

The students arrived in New York City ahead of the workshop to tour several studios and showrooms including Craighill, Bjarke Ingels Group, Formica, and Milliken. 

The annual workshop brought together students from leading international design schools for a fast-paced, hands-on design challenge hosted at ICFF during NYCxDESIGN. The 2026 workshop theme, “The Unseen Narratives,” invited participants to uncover overlooked aspects of everyday life and transform them into meaningful forms of expression through design. Led by a faculty team from Centro de Diseño y Comunicación (Mexico), students explored the city using a workshop-specific app to gather data. Over the course of the multi-day program, students worked in interdisciplinary teams, explored conceptual storytelling approaches, and developed projects that reflected personal, cultural, and social perspectives.

Ohio State students participated alongside peers from institutions across North America and beyond, engaging in cross-cultural dialogue and collaborative problem-solving while immersed in one of the design industry’s most prominent annual events. The workshop culminated in final presentations delivered on the ICFF Main Stage before a jury of industry leaders, providing students the opportunity to present their ideas, receive professional feedback, and contribute to broader conversations shaping the future of contemporary design.

Congratulations to Maya Zaveduk, whose team won the “Best Team” award from the jury, earning them a feature on Core77. Reflecting on the workshop experience, Maya shared, "The theme of Unseen Narratives inspired me because it encouraged us to be more present and look for the stories that are not always obvious at first glance. This felt very relevant to my studies in interior design because being a good designer means understanding people, noticing details, and creating spaces that respond to the needs and experiences of others.”

The experience offered Ohio State students valuable exposure to global perspectives in design while reinforcing the university’s continued commitment to supporting emerging creative talent through international learning opportunities and industry engagement. Student participation was made possible with generous support from distinguished alumna Renee Hytry Derrington.