ATLANTA - At this year’s International Woodworking Fair (IWF) in Atlanta, the Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers (AWFS) announced the winners of its inaugural Design It Digital (DID) student CAD competition. DID is a Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) competition open to students in North America.

To compete, students are presented with three hypothetical scenarios in which a client is asking for a custom piece of furniture. Students choose the client project and design a solution using CAD and rendering software. While keeping within a budget, students then create a project presentation board and upload it to the DID contest website for judging.

Don Bigelow from Cabinet Vision software, Doug Hague from Architectural Woodwork Institute (AWI), and Saul Martin from Architectural Woodworking Company in Los Angeles served as judges for this year’s competition. Projects were graded based on quality of design, quality of CAD drawings and renderings, manufacturability, marketability, and overall concept. The six best projects received prize packages.

The Finalists Presentation Boards can be viewed here.

The first place winner is Patrick Duckett with Kakoi Cabinet from North Cobb High School in Kennesaw, Georgia. Backed by instructor Michael Barcarse, Duckett won a prize package consisting of $1,000.00 (USD), Cabinet Vision software from Vero, a Semi-Pro 2 HVLP Spray System from Fuji Spray, a Castle 100 pocket hole machine from Castle Inc., an AccuMaster digital fraction caliper, and a Measure Master Pro calculator from Calculated Industries.

The second place winner is Holli Welcker with The Cat Castle from Snohomish High School in Snohomish, Washington. Backed by instructor Brad Johnson, Welcker won a prize package consisting of $1,000.00 (USD), Cabinet Vision software from Vero, a Castle 100 pocket hole machine from Castle Inc., an AccuMaster digital fraction caliper, and a Measure Master Pro calculator from Calculated Industries.

The third place winner is Shraddha Sekhar with Feline Fantasia from Wheeler High School in Marietta, Georgia. Backed by instructor Valerie Bolen, Sekhar won a prize package consisting of $500.00 (USD), Cabinet Vision software from Vero, a Semi-Pro 2 HVLP Spray System from Fuji Spray, an AccuMaster digital fraction caliper, and a Measure Master Pro calculator from Calculated Industries.

The fourth place winner is Caidell Davis with Room Divider from Lincoln East High School in Waverly, Nebraska. Back by instructor Jon Heithold, Davis won a prize package consisting of $500.00 (USD), a mini-Ligno E/D from Lignomat moisture measurement, an AccuMaster digital fraction caliper, and a Measure Master Pro calculator from Calculated Industries.

The fifth place winner is Ingrid Gres with Minimalist Bedroom & Kitchen Divider from Passaic County Technical Institute in Wayne, New Jersey. Backed by instructor Michelle Ferreira, Gres won a prize package consisting of $250.00 (USD), an AccuMaster digital fraction caliper, and a Measure Master Pro calculator from Calculated Industries.

The sixth place winner is Gareth Thompson with The Cat Pod from Wheeler High School in Marietta, Georgia. Backed by instructor Valerie Bolen, Thompson won a prize package consisting of $250.00 (USD), an AccuMaster digital fraction caliper, and a Measure Master Pro calculator from Calculated Industries.

AWFS member companies generously sponsored the 2018 Design It Digital competition. Daubert Chemical Company and Tritec Associates both showed support by donating the prize money for the winning students. Grass USA, Grex Power Tools, and the AWFS Southern California chapter, Society of Wood Manufacturing supported the contest by becoming “DID Benefactors.” Safety Speed Manufacturing Company also helped out by becoming a “DID Backer.” Cabinet Vision (Vero Software), Calculated Industries, Castle Inc., Fuji Spray, and Lignomat USA donated software and tools to the winning students.

The next Design It Digital competition is planned for 2020 with contest information being released in summer 2019.