Jefferson’s Sensory Seating Effort Wins General Excellence Honors in Fast Company’s 2024 Innovation by Design Awards

PHILADELPHIA (July 23, 2024) — The winners of Fast Company’s 2024 Innovation by Design Awards were announced this week, and a team helmed by Dr. Wendy Ross — director of the Jefferson Center for Autism & Neurodiversity (JeffCAN) — and visiting assistant professor Robert Melville was honored for the collaborative effort which saw "sensory seating” created and produced for the Honickman Center.

The multi-year, multidisciplinary effort — which involved students and faculty from the Kanbar College of Design, Engineering & Commerce’s industrial-design program — was tapped to receive honorable mention in the highly competitive General Excellence category. Dr. Ross will be honored at an exclusive Innovation by Design Awards Reception in New York City on September 16.

The sensory seating effort started in 2021, when a quartet of industrial-design students under Melville’s guidance collaborated with JeffCAN to conceptualize, research and fabricate a chair that could offer comfort for neurodiverse and other anxious patients in the Honickman Center at 1101 Chestnut Street.

The chairs, which were manufactured with help from an external partner, immediately drew positive attention within the Honickman Center when it opened earlier this year.

Dr. Ross says the award speaks to more than just the team involved in creating the chairs.

"When we started this effort, we knew that the options for sensory friendly spaces should be as inclusive as possible, instead of establishing a detached space," Dr. Ross says. "This sensory seating provides an option that prioritizes belonging, and we could not be prouder of the fact that the chairs have been well-received, and the project honored from afar."

The work stands as a testament to Jefferson’s signature Nexus Learning approach, which combines engaged, active learning with multidisciplinary collaboration to solve real-world problems. It also illustrates Jefferson’s "we improve lives" mission in the form of launching a multi-year effort to do just that for this vulnerable and under-represented population.

"We are so proud of the team which earned recognition from Fast Company for creating these wonderful seating options designed to provide peace of mind for both the neurodiverse and anyone in a stressful situation," says Dr. Susan Aldridge, the University’s president. "Cross-disciplinary collaboration is a hallmark of a Jefferson education, and this project truly encapsulates the best of what our University offers."

Now in its 13th year, the Innovation by Design Awards recognize the best design minds across industries and disciplines. The 2024 Innovation by Design Awards honor the designers and businesses solving the most crucial problems of today and anticipating the pressing issues of tomorrow.

The competition features a range of blue-chip companies, emerging startups, and promising young talent. It is one of the most sought-after design awards in the industry. There are 50 categories that capture every facet of design. A team of editors and experts judge the more than 2,000 applications, taking into consideration the key ingredients of innovation: functionality, originality, beauty, sustainability, user insight, cultural impact, and business impact.