Tape measures, sketchbooks, and a whole lot of site visits: once our interns knew who their clients were, it was time to dig in! From interviewing community partners to racing through an idea relay, week two was all about exploring this summer’s design challenges in and out of the classroom.

What does it take to identify a design problem worth solving? Our Summer Design Studio interns kicked off Week 1 with icebreakers, hands-on design challenges, and pitches from six local community organizations — then got to work narrowing down exactly who they'd be designing for this summer.

Kick off our 2026 Summer Design Studios by meeting the incredible staff that will help make it possible!