Harvard GSD Design Discovery
A 3-week in person program at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design in Cambridge, MA for individuals interested in gaining knowledge within a single design discipline – Architecture, Landscape, or Urban Planning + Design. This program uses hands-on physical modeling, fabrication, and assembly to engage the material and scale of a selected design discipline.
Overview
Design Discovery (DD) is a 3-week in person academic program that takes place at the Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) in Cambridge, MA and engages an audience of individuals 18 years old to mid-career professionals interested in gaining knowledge within a single, selected design discipline. Participants enroll in either Architecture, Landscape, and Urban Planning + Design. The program explores the potentials of design to impact the built environment and the active conditions it choreographs through the material and scale specific to a particular design discipline. Program participants direct design to contemporary issues with an emphasis on hands-on physical modeling, material capacities, fabrication, and assembly, in complement to the Design Discovery Virtual program’s digital media emphasis. Students are taught by Harvard GSD faculty and masters and doctoral degree program graduates in addition to engagement with a broad and diverse network of design talent, across the three disciplines, invited to serve as guest lecturers and critics.
Successful participants receive a program certificate, student evaluation, and produce a draft portfolio of design work that can be shared with design program admission committees, potential design employers, clients, collaborators, or home school programs for course credit consideration.
Program Summary
- 3 weeks, in person format in Cambridge, MA
- Audience ages 18 to mid-career professionals
- Introduction to single selected design discipline of focus: Architecture, or Landscape, or Urban Planning + Design
- Fabrication and physical model making focus
- Instruction by Harvard GSD faculty and advanced GSD masters and doctoral students
Applications for summer 2023 have closed. Please sign up for our newsletter at the button above for more information about our next program cycle.
Design Discovery 2023 will run from July 10 – 28, 2023!
Are you interested in learning how to use digital media software to visualize your design responses to contemporary global topics? If so, check out our Design Discovery Virtual program!
Need some help deciding between the GSD’s Design Discovery programs? See this FAQ:
Who attends
Design Discovery students represent a broad range of ages, lifestyles, and training (most have no previous design experience), and this contributes to a stimulating environment. Many are college students or recent graduates, but the program is also helpful to professionals in their 30s, 40s, or older who are interested in learning about design and/or who are considering a career change. We host an average of 225 participants per year. In our 2022 program, participants from 13 different countries and 34 U.S. states joined us to discover design.
Please note that a valid visa for study within the U.S. is required to be supplied by participants of the Design Discovery in-person program with international citizenship. We can only accept valid visas of international students who will be returning to their domestic home school to complete their study after the conclusion of the Design Discovery program. Harvard will not sponsor visas for enrollment in the Design Discovery in-person program. We invite international students who do not hold such visa status to enroll in our fantastic Design Discovery Virtual program. Please see more information about our virtual program at this link!
Alumni profiles
Anjerrika Bean
“We all came to the studio at Design Discovery with such different perspectives. We only see what we know as individuals, so our viewpoints enriched one another. In the end, we were all richer for sharing the experience together. In addition to working with a diverse group of students, it was amazing to interact with many great instructors and have access to stakeholders, including local city officials, to whom we presented our final projects.”
· Attended: After first year of doctoral studies
· Design background: None
· Interest: Urban Planning + Design
· Today: Research Assistant, Howard University Department of Sociology and Criminology; community builder and co-founder of an organization to help rebuild inner-city neighborhoods in Baltimore, MD.
Marcus Mello
“Design Discovery is intense — and completely worthwhile! Its structure and options appealed to me, and the projects were very challenging, but in a good way. I had to stay focused. I learned about design and the grad school experience, and it opened my eyes. Sketching at my desk and out in the field, near Fenway, I started seeing Boston and Cambridge with an entirely new perspective, through the lens of design. Design Discovery also revealed a broader spectrum of design careers. The experience helped me start a portfolio and build a network that advised me when I applied to design schools and pursued a career in architecture. I highly recommend the program.”
· Attended: After sophomore year in college
· Design background: None
· Interest: Architecture
· Today: GSD graduate with dual Master degrees in architecture and urban planning; works as an architect at Boston Planning and Development Association; has taught at Design Discovery
Svafa Gronfeldt
“When I was young, I wanted to be an architect, and when I turned 50, I revisited this idea through Harvard GSD’s Design Discovery. The experience was even better than I had imagined. Design Discovery promotes design as a way of thinking, a way of approaching decisions, that’s applicable to all aspects of a design-centered career. I’m not aiming to become an architect in a firm, but I don’t have to — I can still be engaged in design. As an instructor at MIT, I help innovators launch and grow their ventures by combining business principles with the principles of design and planning. This new journey integrates my educational background and career experience with the design mentality, which is about problem solving and the constant search for improvement through iteration. This approach is applicable to just about any profession or field.”
· Attended: Mid-career
· Design background: None
· Interest: Architecture
· Previous career: Education and university leadership
· Today: EVP at Alvogen and Entrepreneur-in-residence at MIT’s designX innovation accelerator
Jiayu Zhou
“From Design Discovery, I learned that design is not only about drawing or making beautiful models but more about thinking. Studio art involves the exchange of cultures, values, and concepts, which takes design far beyond what we see on floor plans and textbooks. Design is everywhere, and it is influenced by government, law, businesses, and NGOs. Design Discovery helped me understand that architects, landscape architects, and urban planners are leaders in society who cooperate and innovate to improve or even revolutionize that society. As participants in this program, we learned how to design things that are “good” — things that support positive changes in the way people interact, think, and live.”
· Attended: After junior year in college
· Design background: None
· Interest: Architecture
· Today: College graduate, working in the design sector.
Christian Long
“The ideal Design Discovery candidate is someone who seeks an intense experience exploring how the design mindset can apply to all fields and challenges. The program gave me a tangible opportunity to intensely explore the field of architecture as I was contemplating a career shift. While it helped me realize that I actually didn’t want to become a traditional architect, it did lead me toward significant strategy and visioning roles in the field of school design and architecture. Since then, I’ve started four design studios and have been designing schools and universities around the world.”
· Attended: Mid-career, after graduate school
· Design background: None
· Interest: Architecture
· Previous career: Education
· Today: Co-founder at Wonder and founder of a national design camp for young creatives
Learning Format
Participants in our program commit themselves fully to a path of intensive thinking through making within the studio of Gund Hall at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design. The program pairs studio design time at the desk with a series of lectures and workshops on the process of design, representation of ideas and intentions, as well as fabrication and modeling demos. Deeply immersed in a culture that is both challenging and rewarding, participants experience what education and work are like in the design and planning professions. Many emerge inspired by design, with a more profound understanding of the possibilities ahead and with more information about their own interests in design in order to inform their choices.
If you are participant with a disability or medical condition who would like to request accommodations, please contact [email protected]. To avoid delay in services, we ask that requests be made at least two weeks in advance of the program start.
Studio Format
Design Discovery studios focus on short, intensive projects similar to first-year graduate school projects within one of three selected areas of concentration – Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning + Design. Studios involve one-on-one guidance from design instructors, group discussions and reviews about design work, training sessions in graphics and model making skills, and individual presentations to instructors and guest professionals. Participants have direct access to select spaces within the GSD’s Fabrication Lab and Frances Loeb Library — one of the country’s foremost design and planning libraries.
Concentrations
As a Design Discovery student, you will engage in an iterative exploratory design process of drawing, fabrication and model making within the context of a design studio. This process will help build your ability to translate observations about the world into a visual and spatial language. We ask all Design Discovery in-person participants to select a single concentration for their study among three possible disciplines described below. Within 3 weeks of the program start date, we cannot make changes to a selected concentration. You will receive instruction in the fundamental design methodologies specific to the discipline that you select as your program concentration:
- Architecture is the design of individual buildings and their contexts, with the understanding that, through the scale of elements that comprise them, buildings are the choreographers of dynamic conditions both inside their walls and within their local surroundings.
- Landscape Architecture is the design and preservation of built and natural landscapes, from rural landscapes to urban parks and infrastructure projects.
Design Discovery 2022
- Urban Planning + Design is the analysis and synthesis of forces that shape and reshape the built environment at the scale of the city, with a focus on envisioning and illustrating places that reflect and support the diverse needs of society.
Schedule
Below is a sample schedule for the program. Most students work evenings and weekends in the studio.
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday + Sunday |
| 10:00-11:00am Lecture by design or planning professional | 10:00-11:00am Lecture by design or planning professional | 10:00-11:00am Lecture by design or planning professional | 10:00-11:00am Lecture by design or planning professional | 10:00-11:00am Work time in studio | Studios open during weekend |
| 11:15am-Noon Introduction to studio problem | 11:15am-Noon Design Seminar | 11:15am-Noon Making techniques wkshp | 11:15am-Noon Making techniques wkshp | 11:15am-Noon Making techniques wkshp | |
| Noon-1:00pm Lunch | Noon-1:00pm Lunch | Noon-1:00pm Lunch | Noon-1:00pm Lunch | Noon-1:00pm Lunch | |
| 1:00-6:00pm Review of studio problem | 1:00-6:00pm Studio | 1:00-6:00pm Studio | 1:00-6:00pm Studio | 1:00-6:00pm Studio | |
| Studios open until 12:00am | Studios open until 12:00am | Studios open until 12:00am | 6:30pm Movie screening | Studios open until 12:00am |
Evaluation + Certificate
Each successful Design Discovery participant receives a written evaluation from his or her instructor and a certificate from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. Although the GSD cannot offer undergraduate academic credit for Design Discovery, some colleges and universities will award academic credit for a student’s participation in our program.
Requesting a copy of your evaluation
Participants will receive a digital copy of the written evaluation following the conclusion of the program.
Although we cannot provide an official transcript of your work in the program, we can send a letter explaining the nature of the Design Discovery program. If you would like to request this letter, please email [email protected], including the following information:
- Full Name
- Email Address
- Year attended CD/DD
- Documents requested: written explanation of program
- Brief description of how you intend to use these documents
Faculty + Staff
Section Instructors
Design Discovery sections are taught by graduating or advanced GSD students who have a professional and academic specialty in the design discipline they are teaching. Sections strive for a maximum of ten students per instructor. Each section is coordinated by current GSD faculty.
2022 Coordinating Faculty
Architecture
Urban Planning + Design
Landscape Architecture
Program Director
Lecturers
Design Discovery invites exceptional professionals and academics to give lectures and join career panel discussions on design, history, theory, office practice, and other aspects of each profession. Speakers are often available for informal conversations afterward.
Past speakers have included:
- J Jih of studio J.Jih
- Alex Anmahian, Principal of Anmahian Winton Architects
- Maurice Cox, director of planning and development for the city of Detroit
- Gary Hilderbrand; partner at Reed Hilderbrand Landscape Architecture
- D’Wayne Edwards, footwear designer and founder Pensole Footwear Design Academy
- Seth Gordon, Film Director and Producer
- Alex Krieger, professor in Practice of Urban Planning and Design at Harvard Graduate School of Design
- Christian Long: Design Share
- Kathryn Madden, Critic in Urban Planning and Design at Harvard University Graduate School of Design; Principal of Madden Planning Group
- Thomas Lyons Mills, Professor of Foundation Studies at the Rhode Island School of Design
- David Saladik: MASS Design Group
- Kirk A. Sykes, Senior Vice President and President of Urban Strategy America Fund
- Maryann Thompson, Adjunct Professor at Harvard University Graduate School of Design; Founder of Maryann Thompson Architects
- Charles Waldheim, John E. Irving Professor of Landscape Architecture and Chair of the Department of Landscape Architecture at Harvard University Graduate School of Design
tuition + Financial Aid
Tuition for the 2023 Design Discovery Program is $2,700. Please expect to purchase additional materials and supplies for projects throughout the course of the program. Depending on your location this could be as much as an additional 250.00 USD.
Payment Policy
A nonrefundable application fee of $85 be be paid in full for each application before the application deadline of April 17, 2023 in order to be considered for admission to our 2023 program.
Financial Assistance
Financial aid takes into account many factors; however, as a guide, if the applicant and/or parents (if appropriate) have a combined gross income that exceeds $40,000, an aid award is unlikely.
To apply, please submit a Financial Aid Application Form along with the required documentation by the program application deadline. Please see the application for more information. This form will be available to complete within your program application.
Please Note: Design Discovery financial aid is not federally subsidized and is available to U.S. citizens and permanent residents only. International students are not eligible to apply. Requests for aid will not be considered without a completed program application. Late applications will not be considered.
Tuition and Financial Aid FAQ
COVID-19 Health + Safety Information
Due to the impact of the global pandemic, participants of the Design Discovery in-person program at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design will be required to follow Harvard University protocols with respect to health and safety when convening on campus for the summer of 2023.
For the summer of 2023, testing will not be required during program participation.
On May 11, 2023 the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the federal government will end their Public Health Emergency for COVID-19. This will change the response to COVID-19 and will end many COVID-related requirements affecting communities and institutions. Both locally and nationally, reported cases and COVID-related hospitalizations and deaths have declined. However, COVID-19 has not disappeared.
- Students, faculty, staff, and researchers should continue to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines if they test positive for COVID-19. This includes isolating from others for five days and masking until day 11. Persons at high risk for complications should consult with a health care provider about antiviral treatment.
- If you test positive, please adhere to the CDC’s isolation guidance and do not attend in-person events until the guidance has been followed in full.
As a participant of the Harvard GSD Design Discovery in-person program, you are required to have health insurance that covers major illnesses and accidents within the United States. If you do not have such coverage with a US or other carrier, you are required to purchase it to match these requirements. Upon acceptance of your application, you will be asked to verify that you have insurance to match the above coverage requirements.
Please check back for more current information, as updates occur on a rolling basis.
Housing
The cost and reservation of Boston area housing for the Design Discovery in-person program is up to each accepted participant to arrange. Neither Harvard nor the GSD have dorms to offer to Design Discovery participants. Upon acceptance of your application to the program, we encourage you to review the housing resources we have collected for you here and make your housing arrangements for the duration of the program as early as possible.
Things to consider when looking for housing:
- Location: You will be spending many nights in the studio. Be sure to take into consideration how far your rental is from the school and if transportation is easily accessible.
- Budget: Apartments in the Cambridge area can be costly. Take into consideration what amenities you absolutely need and which ones you can live without.
- Roommates: Do you want to share a room with another person for the program? If so, with whom? A GSD student or another Design Discovery participant? The GSD Housing Facebook Group is a great way to connect with other Harvard Students looking for roommates, sublets, and rooms.
Housing Resources
- Harvard GSD Housing Facebook Group
- Harvard Off-Campus Housing
- AirBnB
- ApartmentList
- Craigslist
- Padmapper
- Rent.com
- Sublet.com
- Massachusetts Tenant Rights, Laws, and Protections
Apply
To apply for the Design Discovery Virtual program, please submit the following required materials with your online application:
- Application Fee: A non-refundable $85 application fee is due upon application submission.
- Statement of Intent Please tell us (in 250 words or less) what you hope to achieve by attending this design program.
- Resume or CV (PDF) which includes the following information: employment; education; extra-curricular collegiate and community activities (note whether an office held was elected or appointed); honors; awards; professional registration; professional societies; publications; avocations; hobbies; travel. If you served in the military, indicate rank on entry and rank on separation.
- Academic History
- University Transcripts (upload scanned copy, does not need to be official) Transcripts should be submitted with the program application from all colleges and universities from which the applicant has received credit. When uploading a transcript, please make sure the scanned version is legible. Transcripts that are not in English must be accompanied by a certified English translation. If the university or college does not issue transcripts, a certified letter and certified English translation must be provided. It should list courses and examinations taken, grades, and degrees and dates of degrees received. Admitted students who have attended a school outside of the U.S. may be asked to submit a WES (World Education Service) certified transcript, at the applicant’s expense.
- Upload .jpg, .tiff, or PDF image files of your original design work or photography (optional)
- Financial Aid Application (optional, U.S. applicants only)
Application Deadlines
Applications and application fees are due by the program application deadline of April 17, 2023. Early completion of the application and application fee are encouraged! Application decisions will be communicated to all applicants via email on May 1, 2023. Tuition payments and program registration are due in full by May 8, 2023.
| Deadline | Date |
|---|---|
| Online Application Opens | January 2023 |
| Application Deadline (including Financial Aid Applications) | April 17, 2023 |
| Admission + Aid Decisions Sent to Applicants | May 1, 2023 |
| Registration/Tuition Payment Deadline | May 8, 2023 |
| Cancellation Deadline for Full (100%) Refund* | July 1, 2023 |
| Withdrawal Deadline for Partial Refund** | July 14, 2023 |
*Contact Design Discovery to cancel your enrollment by this date to receive a full (100%) refund of the $2,700 program fee.
**Contact Design Discovery to cancel your enrollment by this date to receive a partial (50%) refund of the program fee (amounting to $1,350).
Frequently Asked Questions
Video content: To hear about the following subjects, scroll to the video timestamp indicated. 00:06: Introduction 00:45: Program History 03:52: What do you learn in the six-weeks? 04:40: What does a designer do? How does a designer solve a problem? 06:55: Pedagogical format/What do you mean when you talk about studio? 11:57: Who are the instructors? 13:40: Trajectory of the six weeks 16:30: What do people do after the program? 22:10: When is the best time to enroll in Design Discovery? 24:03: How is the program funded? 26:25: Is there financial aid? 27:37: Do participants receive credit? 28:45: Questions and Answers
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