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Competition Guideline

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PAW*-Nexus: The Pet-Friendly Furniture Design Challenge

Harmonising Human & Pet Life in Urban Compact Living

Millions of urban pet parents face the same daily reality: beautiful homes competing with pet needs for limited space. Your mission? Create modular furniture collections that serves both seamlessly.

The Problem

As city apartments get smaller and pets become true family members, our homes are caught in the middle. We want beautiful, functional spaces, but our beloved pets need their own territory too.

The result? Furniture chaos. Pet stuff everywhere. Compromised style. Wasted space.

Your Mission

Design a modular furniture collection for your chosen living space that elegantly accommodates pet ownership without compromising style, function, or space efficiency in urban apartments (500-900 sq ft).

Create pieces that work beautifully as a complete room solution whilst functioning independently for flexible living. This isn’t about adding a pet bed to a coffee table. This is about reimagining entire room solutions with industrial manufacturability and market-ready appeal.

The Game-Changing Distinction

We’re looking for Pet-Friendly Furniture, not just Pet Furniture.

Aspect	Pet-Friendly Furniture ✅	Pet Furniture ❌
Primary User	Both human AND pet equally	The pet only
What It Is	Beautiful furniture collections with integrated pet features	Standalone pet items (cat tree, plastic dog crate)
Space Impact	Optimises space by combining essential human furniture with pet functions	Takes up extra floor space; looks like “clutter”
Aesthetics	High-end design that enhances your home’s style	Often looks “utilitarian” or “toy-like”

💡 Pro Tip: We’re not looking for a better pet bed. We’re looking for a better bedside table that also provides a sanctuary for pets, or a dining set that manages the chaos of a multi-species household.

Design Requirements & Focus Area

Your submission should address these urban living pain points:

1. Choose Your Room & Collection Scope

Pick ONE room and create few coordinated pieces:

Living Room Collection (e.g., modular seating, coffee table set, storage components, side table)

Dining Room Collection (e.g., table system, seating, sideboard, mobile cart)

Kitchen Collection (e.g., mobile island, modular storage, seating, workspace elements)

Bedroom Collection (e.g., platform bed system, nightstands, storage units, seating)

Note: Your collection should function as a cohesive system where each piece complements the others in style, materials, and integrated pet functionality.

2. Modular Flexibility

Furniture that can grow, shrink, or reconfigure as urban dwellers move or add new pets

3. Multi-Functional Verticality

Utilise vertical space to provide “high ground” for pets without sacrificing human storage

4. Material Innovation

Performance Fabrics: Scratch-resistant, easy-clean, non-toxic
Hardwoods/ Metals: Resist chewing and odours

5. Hygiene & Maintenance

Hidden Solutions: Integrated feeding stations, litter areas, waste management

Easy Care: Hair-repellent surfaces that are simple to sanitise parents

6. Safety & Ergonomics

Ageing Pets: Ramps and low-impact access for senior pets
Safety First: Rounded corners, non-toxic finishes, stable construction in all configurations

7. Target Audience

Urban Millennials and Gen Z pet parents

Who Are These “Pets” Anyway?

PAW Definition*: Four-legged mammals with paws, including:

Dogs

Cats

Rabbits

Hamsters

Submission Deadine:

1 December 2026

Submission Requirements

Participants are required to submit the following:

Presentation slides

Unleash your creativity in 8 pages
Presentation Format: landscape slides in 1920 x 1080 pixels (JPEG or Power Point), for individual pages
Dimensional drawings must be in millimetre

Note: you will only need to submit either an 8-page Power Point slide or 8-individual page JPEG for your presentation.

Content includes (SCALE DRAWINGS ARE REQUIRED)

Page 1: 3D overall view (taken from the best angle) of the design
Page 2&3: Design Concept/Mood Board
– Concept influencing the design
– Singularity of the furniture piece (Why it is unique and special)
– Potential use and market appeal
Page 4: Top view and elevations from all 4 sides (with exact dimensions)
Page 5: Drawing/3D views with texts explaining the functions of furniture parts
Pages 6&7: Any other 3D views & technical details (materials, construction techniques etc)
Page 8: Drawing of the application of the furniture piece in an interior space

Rules & Regulations

All download links for design entry should be made shareable.
Only newly created and unpublished entries will be accepted.
Submission under a group of designers will not be accepted.
Entries that contravene intellectual or industrial property rights will be disqualified. Participants will be liable for claims by third parties resulting from the contravention. The Organiser shall not be held responsible for any contravention.
Shortlisted participants from the Preliminary Judging will be notified on 18 December 2026. They are required to present their design ideas to the panel of judges at the Final Round Judging on 8 January 2027. Absentees will be automatically disqualified.
Finalists need to give a commitment and time to enhance the design further (if requires) for the Design Showcase during the Malaysian International Furniture Fair 2027.
The judges’ decision is final. No correspondence will be entertained.
Finalists’ designs will be showcased during the Malaysian International Furniture Fair 2027, 1-4 March.
The Organiser encourages all participants to produce original design for the entry(s). The Organiser will not be held responsible in the event of participants’ design concept being copied by any third party(s) during or after the competition and exhibition period.
The Organiser will not be responsible for enforcing any intellectual property rights on behalf of the participants, should the participants wish to apply for any form of legal protection to protect their designs from being copied or unauthorised used, participants should seek guidance or advice from a qualified legal professionals.
The Organiser reserves the right to publicise any submitted entry.
The Organiser reserves the right to make any changes to the Award without any prior notice.
Any changes pertaining to the competition i.e. venue, date, time, terms and conditions or cancellation will be announced at MIFF FDC official website

Judging Criteria

Creativity (40 marks)

Concept and Creativity (20%):

Idea or invention and its implementation
Imaginative and original design

Artistic (10%):

Artistic design elements

Technology and Material Usage (10%)

Integration of technology into design
Practicality of material application

Functionality (30 marks)

Ergonomics (10%):

Consideration of health, comfort and efficiency factors

Safety (10%):

Free of dangerous substance and health/ injury risk

Sustainability (10%):

• Use of sustainable materials and environment-friendly

Marketability (10 marks)

• Commercial viability in terms of market acceptance

Visual Impact (10 marks)

• Appearance, composition and aesthetic design

Presentation (10 marks)

• Quality of artwork, quality of mock-up unit
• The ability to present the idea

Public Voting

Open to the public for voting on the Special Mention Award winner during MIFF 2027, Day 1 – 2.

Prizes

First Prize | RM 5,000 + Trophy + Certificate

Second Prize | RM 3,000 + Trophy + Certificate

Third Prize | RM 2,000 + Trophy + Certificate

Finalists: Certificate

Best Mentor Award: RM2,000 + Certificate

Best Institution Award: Certificate

Special Mention Award: RM500 + Certificate

Panel of Judges

Important Dates


25 June 2026	MIFF FDC 2027 Competition e-Briefing
1 Dec 2026	MIFF FDC 2027 Entry Submission Deadline
18 Dec 2026	Announcement of MIFF FDC 2027 Top 20 Finalists
8 Jan 2027	MIFF FDC 2027 Final Round Judging
1-2 Mar 2027	Public Voting for Special Mention Award
1-4 Mar 2027	MIFF FDC 2027 Finalists Showcases
3 Mar 2027	MIFF 2027 Awards Ceremony

FAQs

What does MIFF FDC stands for?

MIFF FDC stands for MIFF Furniture Design Competition. MIFF FDC is an annual furniture design competition organised in conjunction with Malaysian International Furniture Fair (MIFF).

How many years has MIFF FDC been running for?

Frequently asked questions

MIFF FDC was first started in 2010 as Ideation Award and renamed as MIFF FDC in 2013. This will be the 17th edition of MIFF FDC.

Are there any participation fees?

No. This competition is free-of-charge.

How many entries can I submit?

Participants are allowed to submit as many entries per sign up.

We wish to participate as a team. Is group submission allowed?

No. Submission under a group of designers will not be accepted.

Are there any restrictions to the design submission?

Entries must be newly created and unpublished (never appeared in the market as a product, featured in any newspapers, magazines, exhibitions or been a winner of other competitions). Entries that contravene intellectual or industry property rights will be disqualified. Participants will be liable for claims by third parties resulting from the contravention. The Organiser shall not be held responsible for any contravention.

Can I get back my design submission(s)?

All submissions by participants are non-returnable and shall remain the property of the Organiser. Participants shall not use the same entry for other purposes unless with the permission of the Organiser.

When is the submission deadline?

Entries are to be submitted online via MIFF FDC official website by 1 December 2026 before 11:59pm Malaysia time. Should you have any problem with the submission, please email our team at [email protected]. Participants are encouraged to submit their entry(s) early to avoid any disappointment.

How do I make the design submission(s)?

Participants are encouraged to submit their submission(s) on the online submission form (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MIFFFDC26Reg). No physical submission will be entertained. If you have further enquiries, please contact [email protected] for assistance.

In what format should I submit my design concept?

A detailed concept of the design with photographs or visualised sketches and renderings, including brief descriptive annotations and approximate dimensions, must be presented on 8 pages of 16:9 format presentation pages (landscape orientation) in JPEG images (Hi-Res, 300dpi). SCALE DRAWINGS ARE REQUIRED FOR YOUR DESIGN SUBMISSION. Click here (link to competition guideline page)

What are the supporting documents that I should submit together with my design entry?

Your design entry should submit together with completed registration form AND a photocopy of your identity card, foreign resident’s permit/ student card, whichever is applicable.

How will the MIFF FDC 2027 Winner be selected?

There are a total of 2 judging rounds to determine the winners. An online judging is done for the Preliminary Judging from all entries received. Shortlisted finalists will then proceed to the Final Round Judging. At the Final Round Judging, all finalists are required to present their designs to a panel of judges.

When will the winners be announced?

The winner announcement will be held during the MIFF 2027 Awards Ceremony on 3 March 2027. All finalist of MIFF FDC 2027 are invited to attend the Awards Ceremony held during MIFF 2027.

Will there be any recognition to the institution or lecturer?

Yes, we have special recognition awards will be given to institution: Best Institution Award – institution with the most active and quality participation Best Mentor Award – most dedicated lecturer in mentoring participant(s) to develop quality product design.

Where will MIFF FDC 2027 Design Showcase be held?

It will be held in MITEC / WTCKL during Malaysian International Furniture Fair. Further details will be available at MIFF official website.

Only the MIFF FDC Winners’ design artworks are showcased during MIFF 2027?

No, the Finalists’ design artworks of MIFF FDC 2027 will be showcased during MIFF 2027. All designers are encouraged to be present throughout MIFF to answer the enquiry from the interested visitors and potential manufacturers and buyers.

How do I reach MIFF FDC 2027 via social media?

Give our Facebook MIFF Furniture Design Competition page a thumb up to get connected.

May I know if the Organiser can protect our design entry from being copied by others?

It’s important to clarify that the primary responsibility of the Organiser is to facilitate the competition and provide a platform for designers to showcase their talents. While the Organiser plays a crucial role in fostering creativity and innovation, it’s not the obligation of the Organiser to protect designs from being copied by others. Design protection involves legal mechanisms that designers can pursue on their own to safeguard their creations from unauthorised use. These mechanisms often include intellectual property rights such as design patents or copyright.