FROM AN idea to a finished product
A unique enrichment experience for elementary and middle school students, Product Design offers students the maker skills that were once a realm of grandpa’s workshops. It is where students get to conceptualize their ideas, plan their designs and assemble a practical and usable product. Be it a desk organizer or a clock - student’s explore the product's form and function and its connection to themselves. Primarily using wood, students have fun experimenting with a range of other materials from plastics to acrylic. Most importantly though, they will bring home the priceless feeling of empowerment that they can make THEIR ideas a reality, while making them happen!
PRODUCT DESIGN I
Our budding product designers and engineers create their own organizers while learning to balance ‘form’ with ‘function’. They will apply knowledge of shapes, proportion and scale as they plan and visualize in 3Dimensions. Developing confidence with tools like hammer, nails and saws they will NAIL their skills into a finished product.
YOUR CHILD WILL:
Learn to recognize man-made products around them, understanding the context and evolution for some of them
Be introduced to 3D sketching, learning to measure and draw somewhat to scale
Learn to mark materials based on their ‘blue print’, appreciate the iterative process in engineering a product. Value of measuring twice and cutting once
Learn the importance of safety around tools and work spaces. Learn safe use of tools
Spend time applying finishing touches to improve the ‘Form’ of their products
PRODUCT DESIGN II
A higher level course in Product Design, our budding but somewhat confident product designers create their own everyday products adding a higher level of complexity in scope. They will continue to learn the balancing act between ‘form’ and ‘function’ in everyday products. They will apply knowledge of shapes, proportions and scale as they plan and visualize in 3Dimensions. Developing confidence and independence with power tools like saws and drills.
YOUR child WILL:
Learn to recognize man-made products around them, understanding the context and evolution for some of them
Hone their 3D sketching skills, learning to measure and draw to scale
Learn to mark materials based on their ‘blue print’, appreciate the iterative process in engineering a product. Value of measuring twice and cutting once
Learn to make trade offs and find creative solutions as they encounter numerous problems during making
Spend hours improving the ‘Form’ of their products as they experiment with various wood finishing techniques
Learn the importance of safety around tools and work spaces. Learn safe use of tools
Appreciate the value of patience and build resilience as they encounter challenges during making
WHAT PARENTS AND KIDS ARE SAYING ABOUT PRODUCT DESIGN
Instructor Feature
Ricky Yue
Professional Product Designer, with a passion for designing Toys, has this to say:
“The reason I love design is because it gives me the ability to innovate and solve problems through visuals.”
Note: DesignX instructors are often working professionals that are thoughtfully selected to lead our classes. As such, instructors for any given class may change based on their availability.
Frequently Asked Questions
+ HOW CAN KIDS BECOME FASHION DESIGNERS?
To become a professional Fashion Designer we recommend students attend a college that offer programs in Fashion and/or related fields. The depth of knowledge you gain from college courses is highly valuable to carve out a successful career in the Fashion space. DesignX Company is one of the first organizations to offer a structured program in Fashion Design for kids and teens (K12). Our age appropriate curricula have been developed by a former Fashion Designer and honed from over a decade of teaching kids in Bay Area, CA. If you have a child that is begining to explore Fashion either for the art element like fashion drawing, enjoys tinkering, making or sewing, loves the beauty, glamor and cat- walking you are in the right place. Your students will have plenty of opportunities to explore a passion and develop some serious skills in designing and making by attending our programs over their school years, even if just over summers. Many of our students got hooked through our summer programs and have gone on to pursue creative fields in college. Enjoy reading about two of our talented and budding fashion designers Amanda and Eva.