First application wave
22 February 2026
Application fee increased afterward.
In-person Program
Experience Design High School Course
Students use human-centered design, user research, journey mapping and rapid prototyping to create and pitch purposeful experiences.
Last verified: 26 Aug 2026Reviewed by:SSSean Stevens
In-person Program
Experience Design High School Course
Students use human-centered design, user research, journey mapping and rapid prototyping to create and pitch purposeful experiences.
Last verified: 26 Aug 2026Reviewed by:SSSean Stevens
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We review public program details such as eligibility, age range, cost, duration, location, format, accommodation, meals and application timing.
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Experience Design Summer Course at a glance: cost, dates and eligibility
Current status
Closed
Eligibility
Grades 9-12; 3.0 GPA
Age range / Year group
Ages 14-18
Location / Region
San Luis Obispo, California
Cost
$2,998; $5,398
Duration
2 weeks
Format
In-person
Design
Accommodation: Shared campus dormitory
Meals: All meals or weekday lunch
Outcome: Team business pitch
Class schedule: 9 x 3-hour sessions
Credential: 3 Cal Poly CEUs
Experience Design Summer Course summary
A practical introduction to designing events, trips and other experiences around the needs, emotions and behavior of their intended users.
Students conduct qualitative research, develop personas and journey maps, design touchpoints, build prototypes and pitch an experience-based business concept.
It suits creative students who want to test design thinking through collaborative, applied work rather than focus only on visual aesthetics.
What is Experience Design High School Course?
The Experience Design High School Course is a Summer Springboard course focused on human-centered design. It explores how intentionally designed events, tourism, hospitality, recreation and community experiences can influence emotions, choices, behavior and meaning.
Students gather qualitative user information, create personas and journey maps, and apply positive psychology to purposeful experience concepts. The practical work includes empathy mapping, touchpoint design, rapid prototyping, teamwork and a pitch for a business idea built around multiple experiences.
Why Succeed highlights Experience Design Summer Course
The course connects human-centered design theory to interviews, maps, prototypes and a concrete team pitch.
Its focus on events, tourism, hospitality, recreation and community settings shows how experience design extends beyond apps and websites.
Students practice multiple stages of the design process, from empathy and persona development to touchpoints and visual storytelling.
A local business visit gives students a real-world view of how organizations plan and deliver customer journeys.
The named instructor brings Cal Poly teaching, mentoring and research experience in experience design and event management.
Who is Experience Design Summer Course for?
Best for
Creative, collaborative students curious about designing events, hospitality, tourism or community experiences around real user needs.
Not ideal if
You want a software-focused user-interface course or prefer individual studio work without interviews, teamwork and presentations.
Is Experience Design Summer Course worth it?
It can be worthwhile for students who want to test experience design through substantial practical work. Personas, journey maps, prototypes, a business pitch and a course-specific excursion provide clearer evidence of engagement than passive lectures alone.
The principal limitation is the price, especially for residential participation, and the course is exploratory rather than a professional design qualification. Its value is strongest when a student is genuinely considering design, events, hospitality, recreation or a related pathway and will reflect on the work afterward.
A practical overview of cost, accommodation, meals, dates and provider details to review before deciding.
Cost and what is included
$2,998; $5,398; includes Residential tuition includes all meals and lodging., Both options include the academic course and excursions., Residential tuition includes weekend excursions., Commuter tuition includes lunch and weekday programming., Commuter programming runs Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m..
Accommodation
Shared campus dormitory
Meals
All meals or weekday lunch
Provider details
Review the Summer Springboard provider page and official sources before making a final decision.
Dates and logistics
2 weeks; San Luis Obispo, California.
What to check before committing
Confirm current dates, payment terms, travel arrangements, cancellation rules and what is included with the provider.
Compare this program with similar options before deciding on dates, cost, format and fit.
Compare with similar programsHow much preparation does Experience Design Summer Course need?
Effort level
Moderate to high.
Best started
Begin six to eight weeks before the next application deadline to discuss costs, choose a tuition type and prepare the written application.
Main challenge
Turning qualitative user insights into a coherent experience concept that a team can explain visually.
Typical preparation
Collect examples of memorable events, trips or services and note which touchpoints shaped your experience.
Practice interviewing someone about a recent customer or guest experience without leading their answers.
Try mapping the stages, emotions and friction points in one familiar journey.
Prepare to explain why experience design interests you in the application’s short-answer questions.
Useful if
You enjoy observing people, generating ideas and improving concepts through collaboration.
What do students do on Experience Design Summer Course?
Students move through a human-centered design process and apply it to purposeful experiences for diverse audiences. The course culminates in a prototype and team pitch for an experience-based business idea.
Step-by-step process
- 1
Explore how intentional experiences influence emotions, behavior, choices and meaning.
- 2
Gather qualitative information from end users through interviews and observation.
- 3
Turn research into empathy maps, user personas and experience journey maps.
- 4
Identify important touchpoints and transitions across the experience.
- 5
Use brainstorming techniques to generate and facilitate ideas with others.
- 6
Develop ideas through visual storyboards and rapid prototypes.
- 7
Visit a local business to examine how its guest journey is implemented.
- 8
Collaborate on and pitch a business idea containing multiple unique experiences.
Experience Design Summer Course dates and deadlines
Next cycle not announced yet. These dates are from the latest verified cycle and should be used as a reference only.
Reference date
Second application wave
19 April 2026
Application fee increased afterward.
Final admission deadline
17 May 2026
Final general admission milestone.
Session 1
5-17 July 2026
Two-week Experience Design course.
| Milestone | Date | Timezone | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
First application wave | 22 February 2026 | Local | Reference date | |
Second application wave | 19 April 2026 | Local | Reference date | |
Final admission deadline | 17 May 2026 | Local | Reference date | |
Session 1 | 5-17 July 2026 | Local | Reference date |
Eligibility and requirements
Open to students in Grades 9-12
Entering high-school students may enroll
Recent high-school graduates may enroll
Minimum 3.0 GPA or local equivalent
International students must show English proficiency
Essential Eligibility Criteria must be met
Student must participate in the application
How much does Experience Design Summer Course cost?
Commuter tuition
$2,998 — Academic course, excursions and weekday lunch included.
Funding or discounts
- Residential tuition: $5,398 — Lodging, all meals and weekend excursions included.
- Program deposit: $600 — Paid when applying to hold a place.
- Application fee: From $99 — Mandatory and nonrefundable.
- Weekend commuter add-on: $125 per day — Optional weekend excursions for commuter students.
- Tuition Protection Plan: $699 — Optional campus-program cancellation protection.
What's included
Residential tuition includes all meals and lodging., Both options include the academic course and excursions., Residential tuition includes weekend excursions., Commuter tuition includes lunch and weekday programming., Commuter programming runs Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
How to apply to Experience Design Summer Course
- 1
Ask a parent or guardian to create an account in the application portal.
- 2
Confirm the registration email and complete the account details.
- 3
Choose Create New Application from the portal dashboard.
- 4
Select Cal Poly, the session, Experience Design and a tuition type.
- 5
Complete the student details and short-answer questions with the student present.
- 6
Sign the required agreements and submit the completed application.
- 7
Pay the $600 deposit and mandatory application fee.
- 8
Check the portal for the decision and any additional required forms.
What does Experience Design Summer Course cover?
The program covers the following focus areas.
Human-centered design
Examine how designed experiences influence emotions, choices and meaning.
User research
Gather qualitative insights and translate them into empathy maps and personas.
Journey and touchpoint design
Map user journeys and design meaningful transitions and interactions.
Ideation and prototyping
Use facilitated brainstorming and rapid prototypes to develop experience concepts.
Visual storytelling and pitching
Communicate a team business concept through storyboards, visuals and a pitch.
Curriculum may be adjusted based on participant interests and current developments.
What is a typical day on Experience Design Summer Course?
A typical day during the program.
Academic course
Experience Design classes run from 9 a.m. to noon.
Excursion or activity
Students join an academic excursion or recreational activity around 1:30 p.m.
College readiness
A college-readiness workshop or True You session follows later in the afternoon.
Residential program
Dinner, clubs and evening activities continue before dorm checks.
Who teaches on Experience Design Summer Course?
The named instructor is Dr. Keri A. Schwab, a professor in Cal Poly’s Experience Industry Management Department. She teaches and mentors university students in experience design and event planning, with research spanning recreation participation, youth engagement and nature experiences.
The Cal Poly program is run in partnership with Cal Poly Extended Education, with Cal Poly faculty and access to university facilities.
Where do students stay on Experience Design Summer Course?
Residential plan
- Campus housing: Students share university dorm rooms on gender-segregated floors.
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included, generally through campus dining.
- Residential support: Residential mentors live on students’ hall floors, with 24-hour staff support.
- Security and facilities: Dorms have electronic-key access, security patrols, Wi-Fi, lounges and laundry.
- Weekend excursions: Weekend trips and activities are included in residential tuition.
Non-residential plan
- Day-student option: Commuters attend weekday programming and receive lunch.
Residential students share rooms and common bathrooms; optional airport services cost extra.
What happens after Experience Design Summer Course?
After completing this program, participants often pursue:
Use personas, journey maps and storyboards as evidence of design practice.
Develop a prototype and team pitch to discuss in future applications.
Explore pathways linked to events, tourism, hospitality and recreation.
Build interviewing, visual communication and collaborative ideation skills.
Earn 3 Continuing Education Units through Cal Poly Extended Education.
The course is exploratory and does not constitute a professional design qualification.
Where does Experience Design Summer Course take place?
The course is based at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo on California’s Central Coast. The campus sits between rolling hills and the Pacific coast, with local business visits and possible excursions helping students connect course ideas to the surrounding region.
The campus is located between Los Angeles and San Francisco; families arrange travel to and from the program unless they purchase an optional transfer service.
Experience Design Summer Course FAQs
Students study human-centered experience design and how intentional experiences influence emotions, choices, behavior and meaning. Topics include qualitative user research, personas, empathy maps, journey maps, touchpoints, positive psychology and visual storytelling.
Students interview end users, develop maps and personas, brainstorm collaboratively, create rapid prototypes and communicate ideas through storyboards and other visuals. They also develop and pitch a business idea incorporating multiple experiences.
The named instructor is Dr. Keri A. Schwab, a professor in Cal Poly’s Experience Industry Management Department with teaching and research experience in experience design, event management, recreation and youth engagement.
The course has nine three-hour class sessions. Classes run from 9 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday in the first week and Monday through Thursday in the second week.
Yes. Residential students share university dorm rooms and receive all meals, lodging and weekend excursions. Residential mentors live on students’ hall floors, and other staff are available on campus around the clock.
Yes. Commuter tuition includes the academic course, excursions, weekday lunch and programming from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Lodging and most other meals are not part of that option.
Applicants should be in Grades 9-12 and have at least a 3.0 GPA or local equivalent. Students entering high school and those who recently graduated may also qualify, subject to the wider admission and essential eligibility criteria.
The course plans a visit to a local business so students can examine how a guest journey is imagined and implemented. The wider campus program also includes academic and recreational excursions.
Alternatives to Experience Design Summer Course
Compare these related in-person programs if you want a different design discipline, location or creative emphasis.
Alternatives to Experience Design Summer Course
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14-18
Los Angeles
In-person
Best for
Students more interested in interactive entertainment and technology.
Architecture and design study based in London
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Deadline: Not announced
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16-18
London
In-person
Best for
Students considering architecture or spatial design.
Two weeks exploring creativity through practical work
Art
Deadline: Not announced
Cost not listed
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Best for
Younger students seeking art and design exploration.
Save this program in Succeed to compare it with similar programs, dates, costs and formats in one place.
Compare with other programsContent reviewed by
Sean Stevens
Co-founder, Succeed | Founder, Immerse Education (2012–2026)
Sean works at the intersection of academic enrichment, program quality and university preparation, with expertise in evaluating pre-university experiences for ambitious secondary school students.
Sources and verification
Source types reviewed
- Tuition Protection Plan T&C
- Terra Education
- 2026 HS 2-week Experience Design V2
- Main FAQ | Knowledge Base | Summer Springboard - Summer Springboard
- (1) New Messages!
- Cal Poly | Campus | Summer Springboard - Summer Springboard
- (1) New Messages!
- Apply Now | Enrollment | Summer Springboard - Summer Springboard
- Programs Overview - 2026
- Tuition Protection Plan T&C
- Experience Design | Cal Poly SLO | Summer Springboard - Summer Springboard
Succeed uses official provider information where available, but keeps this public page focused on comparison and planning inside Succeed.
What we verified (on 26 Aug 2026)
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Session dates checked
Tuition options checked
Eligibility reviewed
Application process reviewed
Accommodation details checked
Refund policy reviewed
Instructor details checked
How Succeed uses this information
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