Summer Camps for Teens

Learn Design Skills at UT Austin

Get ready for another summer of fun and creativity with the School of Design and Creative Technologies! Designed and taught by UT Austin faculty, these courses will allow students from 8th grade through high school to get hands-on experience in a college classroom.

These fun, skill-building camps provide students with exposure to new software programs, a chance to explore interests before declaring a major, and an opportunity to build a portfolio piece as they prepare for college applications. For additional details, please see each camp listing below.

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Stay up to date as we release course offerings for Summer 2025. Sign up below to join our email list.

Summer 2024 Design Camp Offerings

Making Physical Products for the Real World

Faculty: José Perez
Dates: June 3–7, 2024
Hours: 9am-2pm
Location: DFA 4.112 on UT Campus

Have you ever wondered how your watch, game controller, or cell phone was designed?

Do you have your own ideas for products but aren’t sure how to create them? In this camp, you’ll learn the skills and tools to bring those ideas to life! Whether you're a budding product designer or simply enjoy putting pen to paper, this camp is your chance to explore your maker talents with guidance from a seasoned professional. Dive into interactive workshops, receive personalized instruction, and get a taste of the tools the pros use to turn your imaginative ideas into reality. We'll blend traditional sketching methods, with physical prototypes that will bring your ideas to life.

Intro to 2D Video Game Design*

Faculty: Andrew Augustin
Dates: June 3–7, 2024
Hours: 9am-2pm
Location: DFA 3.128 on UT Campus

Do you love playing games? Do you have new ideas for how games could work?

Dive into the essentials of crafting engaging video games, focusing on storytelling, character development, gameplay mechanics, and the gaming environment. You'll create unique concepts that stand out in the gaming world. Craft a detailed game concept document throughout the week which will serve as the blueprint for your future game prototypes. Ideal for those dreaming of bringing new gaming worlds to life, this camp lays the groundwork for the exciting stages of game development, helping you turn your gaming dreams into reality!

The University of Texas Summer 2024 Camp Graphic Design for the Music Industry

Graphic Design for the Music Industry - Session One

Faculty: Vic Rodriguez Tang
Dates: June 3–7, 2024
Hours: 9am-2pm
Location: Design Mac Lab on UT Campus

Do you have a cool idea for your favorite band’s album cover? Do you wish you could create merch for their upcoming tour?

Get a taste of what it’s like to work as a visual designer in the music industry through exercises and workshops that test your imagination, problem-solving skills, and maybe even your taste in music. You will create designs for album covers, concert posters, merchandise, and more. You’ll dive into design campaigns, brainstorming strategies, and presentation design. Get ready for a week of unleashing your creativity and rocking those design skills!

The Magic of Immersive Technology

Faculty: Kyle Evans
Dates: June 3-7, 2024
Hours: 9am-2pm
Location: LIM Lab on UT Campus

Do you enjoy theme parks? Do you want to create experiences that feel magical?

This unique and exciting camp experience will take you on a journey into the realms of light, sound, and visuals. Immerse yourself in a captivating blend of technology and artistic expression as we explore the magic of motion capture systems, lighting design, and video projection. The best part? We'll all work together to create a super cool immersive art experience that combines motion, sound, and light. Get ready for a week of creativity and tech magic!

Build Your Own 2D Video Game*

Faculty: Andrew Augustin
Dates: June 10–14, 2024
Hours: 9am-2pm
Location: DFA 3.128 on UT Campus

Have ideas for your own video games but not sure how to start the process of bringing them to life?

We'll teach you the practical skills to make working prototypes of your games, covering basics like programming, level design, user interface design, and testing methods. You'll be encouraged to experiment and improve your prototypes, learning how to turn your ideas into playable games. This hands-on course is super important for understanding the technical side of game development and gives you valuable insights into the game design process.

Create Your Personal Brand

Faculty: Vic Rodriguez Tang
Dates: June 10–14, 2024
Hours: 9am-2pm
Location: Design Mac Lab on UT Campus

Want to develop your own personal brand but not sure where to start?

Join us for a week of exploring branding, where we'll dive into logo design and more! In this camp, you'll learn the art of crafting logos to build a meaningful identity for yourself. We'll cover the basics of brand research, coming up with ideas, setting guidelines, creating branding systems, and making mockups. Plus, you'll discover how to use a creative process that fits your style and can be adjusted for different projects, so you can complete any design from start to finish. Get ready to make your mark in the world of branding!

Art and Animation for 2D Games*

Faculty: Andrew Augustin
Dates: June 17–18 & 20-21, 2024 (Note: Closed June 19th for Juneteenth)
Hours: 9am-3pm
Location: DFA 3.128 on UT Campus

Have you ever wanted to create characters or unique landscapes for a video game in your artistic style?

Get ready for the ultimate course in our series* all about the art and animation side of making 2D games! In this camp, you'll discover how to design and bring to life the visual elements of your game prototypes. We'll dive into character design, background art, creating sprites, and basic animation techniques. Throughout the course, we'll explore various artistic styles and techniques, so you can pick and develop your own unique look for your games. You'll get hands-on experience by applying your art and animations directly to the game prototypes you worked on in the previous course. If you're excited about making your game concepts pop with awesome visuals, this course is just what you need!

Graphic Design for the Music Industry - Session Two

Faculty: Vic Rodriguez Tang
Dates: June 17–18 & 20-21, 2024 (Note: Closed June 19th for Juneteenth)
Hours: 9am-3pm
Location: Design Mac Lab on UT Campus

*Note about 2D Games Series

Each course is made so you can take it on its own or as part of the full sequence, giving you the choice to focus on a specific part of game development or get a well-rounded experience in everything. By the end of this series, you won't just know the theory — you'll also have hands-on experience designing, prototyping, and bringing your 2D video games to life. This way of learning is extra helpful if you're dreaming of making a splash in the games and animation industry. It gives you the skills and know-how to turn your creative ideas into games you can actually play.

Pricing & Discounts

Rates for 2025 camps coming soon.

After-Camp Hours:

Does your camper need to stay after camp ends for the day? We offer an add-on option for $100 per camp for students to remain supervised on campus until 5pm. Students can use this open time to continue working on projects or socialize.

Scholarships

Scholarship information for 2025 camps coming soon.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are accommodations available on campus?

We are not able to offer on-campus accommodations for camp attendees. For those who are not local to Austin, we recommend looking into nearby hotels or Vrbo options.

Do I need to bring my own laptop?

No, all camps requiring computers are held in our PC or Mac computer labs.

Am I allowed to leave campus for lunch?

Camp attendees are not allowed to go off-campus for lunch. Please plan to pack a lunch each day or have lunch delivered.

What is After-Camp Hours?

After-Camp Hours is an optional $100 add-on for those who need to stay through 5pm. Campers will remain supervised on campus with our TAs and can use this open time to continue work on projects or socialize. There are no official lessons or work assigned during this period, but the camp TAs may organize some games and social activities if there is interest.

Are multi-camp discounts available for any camp registrations?

Yes! The 2D Game Design camp series is a great option if you are looking for multiple camps, but you can get a discount by signing up for any two or three camps that we offer.

Are scholarships available to cover the cost of tuition?

Yes, we have a small number of need-based scholarships available for students to attend camp. Criteria for scholarship determination is Free/Reduced Lunch or Texas Medicaid status.

Please fill out this form if you qualify. We will start awarding scholarships on or after April 1.

Do I have to attend all of the 2D game camps in order?

The 2D game camps are designed to be taken individually or in a sequence. If you take all three, you will be able to fully design and develop a game from scratch! Students of all skill levels are encouraged to attend.

Will there be a final showcase of work at the end of each camp?

Yes! Students and their invited guests are welcome to attend a showcase presentation during the Friday afternoon of each camp. More details about each camp presentation will be sent via email.

What happens if I get sick? Can I get a refund?

We are not able to offer refunds for illness except in the event of a medical emergency with a doctor’s note.