Summer Springboard
Industrial Design
at Vanderbilt University
EXPERIENCE INDUSTRIAL DESIGN, BRIDGING ART, TECHNOLOGY, AND USER-CENTERED INNOVATION.
THIS IS A TWO-WEEK PROGRAM WHERE YOU’LL FOCUS ON ONE COURSE FOR THE ENTIRE DURATION.
Industrial Design at Vanderbilt University
- Learn to create innovative product concepts that balance social, environmental, functional, financial, and aesthetic considerations.
- Expand your digital design skills using a variety of media and professional design tools.
- Conceptualize and develop everyday products by blending art, engineering, and business insights.
- Enhance your creative problem-solving abilities to transform ideas into practical, user-centered designs.
- Discover the wide range of career opportunities in Industrial Design and the impact designers have across industries.
Summer Springboard
Industrial Design
About This Course
A design program for teens on a university campus in Nashville.
Step into the world of industrial design, where creativity and functionality come together to shape the products of tomorrow. In this hands-on course, students will learn how designers balance form, materials, manufacturing, and sustainability to bring ideas to life. Through hands-on projects and collaboration, you’ll gain practical experience with professional tools and techniques. By the end of the course, you’ll understand the design process, explore exciting career paths, and be ready to turn your own ideas into real-world products.
TOPICS YOU'LL EXPLORE
Hands-on Learning
Hands-on learning is central to industrial design, giving students the opportunity to sketch, prototype, and test their ideas in real time. Through immersive projects, students will gain practical experience of the creative process.
Career Exploration
Connect with professional designers and industry experts to learn about the variety of roles in product development, design, and innovation. Gain firsthand insight into the skills, challenges, and opportunities in the field while exploring potential paths for your own design career.
RESOURCES
Course Infosheet
Click here to view or download the printable infosheet for this course.
Program Catalog
Click here to request our catalog to learn more about our summer programs and courses.
Campus Page
Click here to view the website page for this campus and learn more.
“My experience was very positive during this Summer Springboard session. The academic aspect was amazing and so was the social aspect. The balance of both made me not want to leave. It was very fun and I’ll remember this for the rest of my life.”
-Jonathan R. | Alumni Student
Summer Springboard
Industrial Design
Meet Your Instructor
Juan Jimenez is a graduate of the University of Houston’s Industrial Design program with over 14 years of experience designing across a wide range of industries, including furniture, consumer electronics, medical devices, hardware and tools, and home and kitchenwares. His career spans both boutique agencies and global organizations, including Humanscale and Peloton Interactive, where he helped develop premium office furniture and cutting-edge fitness technology.
At Peloton, Juan led a design team focused on delivering innovative, user-centered products that balance performance and experience. Juan currently leads the design team at Ovyl, developing consumer electronics and medical equipment with a focus on impact and usability. His work is grounded in user-centered research and a belief that experience is central to effective design. Juan aims to create thoughtful, purposeful products that improve how people interact with the world around them.
JUAN JIMENEZ
“I came in knowing next to nothing about business and now I feel that I have flourished in business. This program is very beneficial and I feel that I am ready for college.”
-Nathaniel C. | Alumni Student
Summer Springboard
Industrial Design
Dates & Tuition
| 2026 Dates |
|---|
| Session 1: June 14 – June 26, 2026 |
Click here to enroll in this course using our online enrollment form.
| Tuition |
|---|
| Residential Tuition: $5,698 |
| Commuter Tuition: $2,998 |
| Course Supplement: $250 |
Tuition Protection Plan: Allows for cancellation for any reason up until the day of the program.
| Location |
|---|
| City: Nashville |
| Country: Tennessee |
| Campus: Vanderbilt University |
Summer Springboard programs are not run by our campus partners (with the exception of Cal Poly, UW Foster and NYSID which are run in partnership with SSB). Universities and their affiliated departments and partners do not control and are not responsible or liable in any manner for any part of the Summer Springboard program.