Design Writing and Research Summer Intensive

“The Design Research, Writing and Criticism Summer Intensive was the best thing I’ve done for my career in a while. From instructors to classmates, it was amazing to meet so many awesome people in such a short period of time. It shook the cobwebs out of my brain and forced me to look at the world through a new (writerly) perspective. It was a blast.” —Jemma Frost, 2024 Summer Intensive participant

Does your brain need a boost? Does your writing need a workout? Does your career need some conditioning? Join us from our studio space in the heart of Manhattan for our renowned two-week Summer Intensive residency, aimed at those who would like to refine their skills as thinkers, reporters and storytellers.

For practicing designers, this is a chance to examine the profession and its impact through writing and publishing. Clear thinking, deep research and engaging expression are vital skills in a contemporary designer’s toolkit. For non-designers, this program offers methods and insights for writing compellingly about images, objects, people, and spaces.

A range of writing genres and approaches will be introduced in seven workshops spread over two weeks. Working individually and in small groups, participants will experiment with essential techniques such as interviewing, podcasting, pitching, archive research, close observation, analysis and critique.

By the end of the program, participants will have completed several pieces of writing, formulated ideas for stories, and garnered a robust set of tools and approaches for writing authoritatively and imaginatively about design.

Faculty-led workshops include The Art of the Profile with Adam Harrison Levy, The Critical Essay with Anne Elizabeth Moore, Engineered Nature with Karrie Jacobs, Writing for the Ear with Leital Molad, Narrative Strategies for Objects with Rob Walker, Speaking of the Streets with Craig Taylor, and Pitching and Publishing with Molly Heintz, Eric Schwartau and New York Review of Architecture editors.

Studio visits and speakers have included Partner and Partners, PIN-UP Magazine, Isometric Studio, Poster House, CW&T, Dan Formosa, Bond Architecture, Sari Azout, David Michon, Pentagram, John Wilson, Julio Torres, Porto Rocha, CFGNY, Adam Rigg, Kiosk, Mike Eckhaus, Sarah Zapata, Ti Chang, Craig L. Wilkins, Local Projects, Kate Noll, Jon Key, Kayfa Ta, Jiminez Lai, Rockwell Group, Kouros Maghsoudi, Lucille Tenazas, Sam Stubblefield, Polymorf, Mimi Zeiger, and Prem Krishnamurthy.

Interested in digging deeper? In addition to our Summer Intensive and full-time, nine-month MA, we are now pleased to offer a part-time, two-year track aimed at prospective students who are seeking an alternative to full-time graduate studies. Significant scholarship funding is available for both full-time and part-time students.

Priority application deadline: April 1, 2025 / Program dates: June 2–13, 2024 / Tuition: 1950 USD. Apply here. Subscribe to our email list to keep up to date with our offerings.