When Interior Design professors at Moore selected students to compete in the annual Jacobs Student Design Competition in November 2024, Carlee Herman ‘26 saw it as an opportunity to gain valuable, hands-on experience. The competition challenged 35 Interior Design juniors and seniors from Moore, Drexel University, New Jersey Institute of Technology and Thomas Jefferson University to conceptualize a lobby and amenity space in a high-rise office building in just six hours. Their work was reviewed by a panel of industry experts.
For Herman, a junior and transfer student from Camden County College the decision to compete paid off: She earned an honorable mention for her design for “Mosaic Media Hub,” placing her in the top five winners of the competition. She also won a monetary prize of $500 for her innovative work.
Carlee Herman '26 (far right) attends the awards reception for the 19th annual Jacobs Student Design Competition.
Because Herman and the other competitors were unaware of the design request and unable to prepare materials beforehand, the design competition required quick thinking, creative solutions, and strategic decision-making skills. Herman, who competed alongside close friends from Moore, overcame the difficulty of the challenge to design a modern, sustainable space for artists and content creators.
"It was stressful because we were completing about five weeks of work in six hours, but it was really cool,” she said. “I was surprised [when I won an honorable mention], but I think it was the way I branded the client and the space. I thought a lot about what the brand would need in that space for interior design purposes.”
Herman first explored community college in her home state of New Jersey, but after transferring to Moore in 2024, she says the experience transformed her education.
“Moore was on my list of colleges when I started looking for the first time. When I decided to transfer, I revisited the list and landed at Moore. It’s a much better fit for me.”
Since becoming an Interior Design major at Moore, Herman has embraced opportunities to grow, including the Jacobs competition. The event mimics aspects of the National Council for Interior Design Qualification exam, a professional certification that tests an interior designer’s knowledge and skills, and it provided a unique opportunity for Herman to showcase her creativity and time management skills. Both the competition and the awards reception allowed her to expand her professional network.
“I got to meet some amazing people to build connections for internships and my career in the field,” Herman said. “It was also great to meet the other contestants, talk with them, and see what they designed.”
Herman credits Moore's emphasis on technology, process work and critiques with helping her succeed in the competition.
“The software and technology we use in class helped me learn a lot of ways to speed up my work,” she said. “We also do a lot of process work in class, which definitely helped me. When the judges gave us feedback, they liked my bubble diagram, my hand sketch, how I thought about the problem and how I found my solution.”
Herman hopes to work in commercial and hospitality design after graduation, pursuing a career with firms similar to Jacobs. She encourages other Interior Design majors and Moore students to embrace opportunities like competition.
“It was a really great experience. Looking back, I’m really glad I did it,” she said. “For anybody asking themselves if they should try something like this, I say ‘yes, you should.’ It’s something meaningful for your resume and career.”
Moore College of Art & Design is the only independent art and design college in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Want to learn more about the Interior Design major at Moore? Contact our Admissions team at enroll@moore.edu or 215.965.4015 to set up a call or a campus visit. We'd love to tell you more!
