Skip to main content

SUMMER DESIGN EXPERIENCE

The Idea Factory

The Idea Factory

A one-week summer program at the University of Houston for high school students wanting to explore how products are designed and made.

Session I
Monday, June 9, 2025–Friday, June 13, 2025
9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

Session II
Monday, June 16, 2025–Friday, June 20, 2025
9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

Register by May 30, 2025

Participants: Students entering 10th, 11th, or 12th grade
Format: Face-to-face on the University of Houston main campus
Registration Fee: $50 (nonrefundable)
Acceptance: Based upon review of the student's transcript and letter of recommendation
Tuition: $500 (includes materials and lunch) per session, due upon acceptance, by June 3, 2025. Receive 10% off tuition if you register for both Session I and II.

Required forms to include with the application:

Apply Now


Collaborative Learning

The Idea Factory introduces you to product design through fun, hands-on projects emphasizing form and function, creativity, materials, and fabrication methods. Students work directly with award-winning UH faculty members, designing and building product solutions in many different product categories.

Each day is filled with lectures and problem-solving through sketching and building. All activities expose students to industrial design and give them a better idea of how industrial design fosters innovation.

All students need to bring is their natural curiosity and a desire to create something. Oh, they’ll need to bring lunch, too.

No prior experience in design is necessary.


The UH Hines College Industrial Design Program

Established in 2003, the goal of the Industrial Design Program at the University of Houston is to nurture young talent to develop innovative and sustainable products, systems, and services through intensive design studios and integrated courses. Our program was ranked No. 4 for the top-value undergraduate industrial design degrees from College Values in 2016.


Program Coordinators


mark-kimbrough.png

MARK KIMBROUGH
Co-Director of Industrial Design,
Associate Instructional Professor
mkimbrou@central.uh.edu
832-842-3012

adam-wells.png

ADAM WELLS
Associate Instructional Professor
acwells@central.uh.edu
713-743-5494