High School Design Day
Inspiring the next generation of designers
High School Design Day at University of Idaho offers high school students a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the creative disciplines offered by the College of Art and Architecture. Through interactive workshops and activities, students gain insight into fields such as architecture, art and design, interior architecture and design, landscape architecture, and virtual technology and design.
Event details
Date: Friday, September 26
Time: 12:30 – 4:30 p.m. Pacific time
Location: Idaho Student Union Building, Clearwater/Whitewater room, University of Idaho, Moscow campus
Free and open to students in grades 9-12, participants will engage in a variety of hands-on workshops led by faculty and current students, providing a glimpse into the creative processes and educational pathways within the College of Art and Architecture.
Workshop highlights
- Architectural model building
- Interior design concepts
- Landscape architecture planning
- Virtual reality in design
- Art and design portfolio development
Workshop logistics
- Registration closes: Sept. 23, 2025
- Check in: 12 p.m. at ISUB Clearwater/Whitewater
- Parking passes provided, contact us in advance
Design Day Workshops
Landscape Architecture
Workshop Title: Ideal Garden
Explore the idea of landscape by creating a small-scale model of your ideal garden. You’ll use simple materials—cardboard, steel, wood and fabric—to shape a space that balances form and feeling. This hands-on experience introduces a core practice of landscape architecture: designing places that hold meaning, offer a quiet personal experience of place and encourage interaction with nature.
Capacity: 10 students (but more is more!)
Location: AA 101
Interior Architecture and Design
Workshop Title: Conceptual Connection
Human beings spend nearly 90% of their lives indoors. So, what can this “indoor generation” learn from the natural world? This workshop introduces biophilic design patterns and shows how they can inspire interior architecture and design concepts that invite connection and enhance human health and well-being. You’ll create a conceptual mood board to express your vision for an interior experience inspired by nature.
Architecture
Workshop Title: Design Through Collage
Use collage-making as a launchpad for architectural ideas and design exploration. Since the early 20th century, architects have turned to collage as a tool for both analysis and creativity. In this session, you’ll select, cut, rearrange and remix architectural references to form new relationships and compositions. The resulting images are more narrative than explanatory—hypothetical visions that help you imagine and communicate architectural possibilities.
Location: AAN Studio Room 208
Capacity: Open
Art and Design
Workshop Title: Mixed Media Accordion Books
Use a mix of physical and digital approaches to create expressive compositions in an accordion book format. This workshop introduces you to layered visual storytelling, combining creative tools and media to build a tactile fold-out artwork that moves as it unfolds.
Virtual Technology and Design
Workshop Title: Character Animation Workshop
Design a character animation in the style of your choice: anime, hand drawn, stylized, “spider-verse” style, realistic or another form that excites you. You’ll explore artist-friendly digital tools that make content creation more intuitive and less technically demanding. With guidance from a virtual technology and design faculty member, you’ll model your character in 3D, paint it and animate it using motion capture—all in less than an hour. Your final creation will be rendered as an illustration or animation that you can take with you and share with friends.
Register for High School Design Day
Register before Sept. 23, 2025 to secure your spot
Contact information:
For more information, contact the College of Art and Architecture:
Email: rcromwell@uidaho.edu
Phone: (208) 885-1186