The Japanese company often likened to Ikea, Muji, has been making significant American inroads in recent years. They're currently conducting their third annual international design competition, open to absolutely anyone with a good idea and the ability to execute it, and who wants to work their magic for the company.

I’ve been inside Muji’s SoHo Manhattan store, one of only two American locations, both in NYC, and found that it’s a cool and classy place with many good and relatively affordable items that would fit in just about any décor comfortably, much like its Scandinavian competitor.

The contest is cool because it’s open to all, and asks only that you take into account the Muji aesthetic when you submit your idea. Oh yeah, it should also be able change the world. Piece o’ cake.

Muji is looking for designs of any kind – “from furniture, stationery and office equipment to everyday household items.” – and ask only that the submission follow the theme of “Found Muji.”

From the company’s Web site: “Learn from the wisdom accumulated by our predecessors all over the world, entrants are asked to find good points in such long-established merchandise, and convert them into a design that fits our modern life. We expect to see your ‘yes, of course’ products that are also great in the modern age.”

The competition opened on July 1 and continues all month, so I apologize for being a little late in posting this. The good news is that you still have almost four weeks to get your stuff together and submit it.

Good luck, and let them know that StyleWire sent you, especially if you win.

Check out the Muji Web site here, where you can see examples of what they sell, and read more about the competition.

Noah Fleisher, July 3, 2008