Taking part in a competition is an opportunity to learn, grow, and put one’s talent into practice. When the jury is made up of renowned experts, both the evaluation process and the final outcome gain even greater credibility. Following this premise, the Salão Design Award introduces the 10 judges who will be responsible for analyzing the projects submitted to the 27th edition of Latin America’s leading furniture design award – held since 1988 by the Furniture Industries Union of Bento Gonçalves. Professionals and students have until March 27 to submit their ideas (entries and regulations available at salaodesign.com.br).
FIRST STAGE JUDGES
The first evaluation stage of the Salão Design Award will take place remotely. Five judges will assess the criteria outlined in the regulations to select the projects eligible for the second phase. Those approved will be considered finalists.
Gustavo Bertolini (Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil)
Architect and product designer with solid experience in furniture design applied to industry. He earned a Master’s degree in Design from Domus Academy in Milan, consolidating an authorial approach aligned with industrial feasibility. He further complemented his education with MBAs in management, strategy, and corporate culture. Throughout his career in various companies, he has developed products and systems recognized in Brazil and abroad, combining innovation, technique, and product identity. He currently serves as art director and curator at Evviva, a brand of the Bertolini Group. He has received awards and served as a juror in national and international competitions.
Débora Mateus (Paraná, Brazil)
Journalist with a Master’s degree in Communication from the Sorbonne (France) and an MBA in Marketing and Social Media from FGV. With over 25 years of experience in communication, she specializes in building narratives that connect architecture, design, culture, and behavior. During her editorial leadership at Habitat magazine, she led a turnaround that positioned the publication on both national and international stages. She also curates, develops critical reflections, and coordinates editorial projects for international fairs and circuits such as Milan Design Week, SP–Arte, and the Venice Biennale.
Christian Ullmann (Argentina)
Exploratory designer working with strategic design and social innovation design for circular economy ecosystems. He coordinates projects for companies, governments, and institutions in Brazil and across Latin America and has received international awards.
Bruna Galliano (São Paulo, Brazil)
Designer, creative director, trend and color researcher, and speaker, known for projects that materialize the spirit of the times. She has built a distinctive voice and working method marked by care, attention to detail, and a strong sense of narrative, with a cinematic perspective. She has collaborated with brands such as Suvinil, Westwing, Rimowa, Portobello, Artex, Samsung, and Tok&Stok, among others.
João Gabriel (Bahia, Brazil)
Architect and urban planner, designer, educator, communicator, and columnist. Working from the interior of Bahia to Brazil and the world, his architecture is marked by contemporary Brazilian identity. A participant in CasaCor Bahia 2024 and 2025, he is a Forbes Under 30 honoree and was named by Casa Vogue as one of the 50 most influential architects in the country. Leading JG+ Arquitetos, he has completed over 130 projects in Brazil and abroad, combining technique, art, and cultural background. He entered furniture design in 2024 and already has four signed pieces recognized in the national market and featured in specialized media.
SECOND STAGE JUDGES
Projects approved by the first-stage jury are considered finalists and move on to the second phase. This evaluation will take place in person in Bento Gonçalves (RS), under the discerning eye of five additional experts.
Winnie Bastian (São Paulo, Brazil)
Journalist and design critic with more than two decades of experience. Although trained in architecture, she established herself in design journalism with a focus on analyzing and documenting contemporary production. She served as editor-in-chief of Arc Design magazine for seven years, editor of L+D magazine for three years, and design editor at Casa Vogue for seven years. She currently leads Design do Bom, a platform that approaches original and innovative design in an informative and inspiring way. She also conducts consulting, lectures, and curatorial projects, such as the exhibition “From Object to City: Design in Everything,” invited by DW! São Paulo Design Week.
Clarissa Schneider (São Paulo, Brazil)
Works in the field of ideas and strategic communication in architecture and design, supporting professionals, companies, and businesses. She seeks consistent, fresh, and innovative paths. Editor-in-chief of Casa Vogue for 14 years and later founder and director of Bamboo magazine for seven years, she is dedicated to creating, organizing, and promoting events, as well as developing architecture and design projects as a curator, creative director, and trend consultant.
Rodrigo Ohtake (São Paulo, Brazil)
Architect and urban planner who studied at the Polytechnic University of Milan, collaborated with architects Mario Biselli and Álvaro Puntoni, and French designer Patrick Jouin, in addition to working with his father, Ruy Ohtake, from 2008 to 2017. In 2005, he began developing his own projects and, in 2011, founded Rodrigo Ohtake Arquitetura e Design. Beyond his office work, he served as assistant curator to André Corrêa do Lago at the Brazilian Pavilion of the 14th Venice Architecture Biennale in 2014. Since his early projects, he has created furniture to complement his architecture. In 2015, he began producing independent furniture pieces, an area to which he has increasingly dedicated himself. In 2022, he founded OHTAKE, resulting from the merger between Ruy Ohtake Arquitetura e Urbanismo and Rodrigo Ohtake Arquitetura e Design.
Isabel Restrepo (Colombia)
Product design engineer with over 20 years of experience in furniture design, interior design, research, and specification. She has established herself as a speaker at conferences, universities, and companies in the sector, sharing her knowledge and vision on design, trends, and furniture. She worked for 10 years with renowned Colombian panel brands, was a partner at the interior design firm Espacio & Materia, and since 2020 has worked in the Design and Marketing department at Interprint do Brasil, a global leader in decorative surface printing, representing the brand in Colombia.
Zanini de Zanine (Minas Gerais, Brazil)
Designer with a multidisciplinary universe who works across different project scales. His approaches in design and visual arts include direct research into Brazilian culture, raw materials, and artisanal and industrial processes. Working in Brazil and abroad, Zanini collaborates with major Italian brands such as Cappellini, Slamp, and Tacchini, among others. He has been listed among the 100 leading professionals in the design world by Wallpaper-UK magazine and has received awards such as Designer of the Year in the Americas by Maison&Objet (France); the New Generation Awards from the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Good Design Award (USA); the iF Design Award (Germany); the Museu da Casa Brasileira Award, among other recognitions.
WHAT’S NEW IN THIS EDITION
This year, the Salão Design Award categories are based on eight product typologies:
Seating (chairs, stools, benches)
Lounging (beds, sofas, armchairs, ottomans)
Socializing (dining tables, sideboards, counters)
Working (desks, office chairs, shelving units)
Industrializing (custom or serial furniture using reconstituted wood panels – MDP or MDF – with low-pressure melamine coating)
Repurposing (furniture using materials with some form of sustainable responsibility)
Recognizing (furniture using materials with recognized social, cultural, or ethnic responsibility)
Complementary (screens, media units, nightstands, coat racks, recamiers)
Special awards are also an attraction for competitors, such as the Popular Vote Award (with public participation), the Supervising Professor Award, and the Alternative Woods Award (in partnership with the Forest Products Laboratory of the Brazilian Forest Service, including a trip to a sustainable forest management area and to the LPF headquarters in Brasília).
New additions this year include: the Product Family Award (for entries with at least two items from the same line); the Artisanal Manufacturing Award (projects combining manual work, craftsmanship, and industrialization techniques or systems); Outstanding Student; Emerging Professional Award; and the Design RS Award (which grants a place in the Milan Mission 2027, organized by Sebrae RS).
ABOUT THE SALÃO DESIGN AWARD
The most traditional furniture design award in Latin America, the Salão Design Award has been organized since 1988 by the Furniture Industries Union of Bento Gonçalves (Sindmóveis), with the goal of bringing designers and industry closer together. In addition to making the sector more competitive, innovative, and sustainable, it creates an international showcase for the talent of professionals and students, enabling partnerships and market recognition.
In nearly 40 years, the award has received more than 16,500 project submissions from participants in 39 countries. The 27th edition of the Salão Design Award is sponsored by Interprint (master sponsor), Akeo (standard sponsor), and Renna (special sponsor).
