Furniture Design and Prototyping for 15 – 17 Year Olds
- Level(s) of Study: Short course
- Course Fee:
£545
- Start Date(s): 3 August 2026
- Duration: Monday to Friday, 10 am to 4 pm, one week
- Study Mode(s): Part-time
- Campus: City Campus
- Entry Requirements: More information
Introduction:
Course dates:
3 - 7 August 2026, Monday to Friday 10 am - 4 pm, one week
Explore the exciting world of furniture design and model making on this hands on course.
You’ll discover how to take an idea from a quick sketch to a beautifully finished prototype, while learning about form, function and aesthetics. Working in our specialist design studios, you’ll be introduced to the same creative processes used by professional designers; from concept sketching and technical drawing to model construction and presentation, you’ll design an item of your choice and make a painted scale model.
This course is perfect if you’re considering a future in product or furniture design, or if you simply love creating and want to develop your skills in a professional environment.
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You’ll be part of a design community in our creative studio culture; one that promotes discussion and collaboration, and encourages experimentation and the constant swapping of ideas. -
With a limited class size you'll have the one-to-one attention you need to ensure you leave with the skills to continue developing your designs at home or work. -
Benefit from learning with an experienced tutor who has established links to the profession and significant experience working in varied practices. -
On successful completion of the course you will receive a certificate of attendance from a well respected University
Doing your Duke of Edinburgh Gold Residential Award?
This course can count as your Gold DofE Residential Award and is an amazing opportunity to make new friends and memories. It will be fun and gently challenging, allowing you to follow your passion and discover talents you never knew you had.
DofE participants must book both the course and accommodation on campus for this to count towards your Gold Award.
You must also attend the social events that are planned on Monday and Wednesday evenings, and you must plan and attend your own social activities with other participants on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
What you’ll study
You’ll start the week by exploring how furniture designers think and work, thinking about what makes great design stand out and how creativity meets functionality. Through drawing, design development and 3D model making, you’ll bring your own ideas to life.
During this course, you will:
- learn the fundamentals of furniture design, including proportion, ergonomics and visual balance
- experiment with different drawing and design techniques to express your ideas
- create concept sketches and develop these into more detailed, scaled designs
- work with foam to produce a 3D prototype of your furniture design
- apply colour and finishing techniques to make your model presentation-ready
- gain insight into what it’s like to study design at university and the kinds of projects you could develop at higher levels.
You’ll learn how designers communicate their ideas clearly and effectively, using both hand-drawing and 3D modelling. You’ll be encouraged to explore creative problem solving, taking inspiration from contemporary furniture design and developing your own aesthetic style.
By the end of the course, you’ll have created a high-quality prototype model and visual presentation of your design, perfect for adding to your design portfolio. You’ll also leave with a better understanding of the furniture design industry, the materials used, and how concepts progress from sketch to manufacture.
Social events
We appoint NTU Student Ambassadors who host social events on Monday and Wednesday evening to help you make friends across the whole of our summer school programme for 15-17 year olds, which are free to attend.
Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll study
Learn how to sketch: pick a chair, table or cabinet, a style you like, and develop a design. You’ll begin by exploring how furniture designers use sketching to communicate their ideas; from quick concepts to more refined design drawings. You’ll study different styles of furniture, discuss what makes a design successful, and start to translate your own ideas onto paper. By the end of the day, you’ll have an original concept forming and a collection of sketches that express your creative vision.
Take your design and develop it into something you want to make, concentrating on details. You’ll turn your initial ideas into a more resolved design by exploring materials, construction and proportion. Through discussion and feedback, you’ll refine the details that give your design character (perhaps adjusting leg shapes, surfaces or joins to make it more functional and elegant). This is where your design begins to feel real and achievable, ready for the transition from 2D to 3D.
You’ve done your design, now it’s time to make it. You will start to understand how you’re going to make a physical model from blue foam, used widely in the design community for prototypes. You’ll be introduced to the materials and tools that furniture designers use to test their ideas. Blue foam is lightweight and easy to shape, so it’s ideal for experimenting with form and scale. You’ll learn how to measure, mark out, and plan so your prototype accurately represents your design. Today is all about translating drawings into real, three-dimensional form.
Today you will start to build your model, take your blue foam and start to cut and build a representation of your design. This is the most hands on part of the week, where your idea truly takes shape. You’ll spend the day constructing your scaled prototype, using cutting and assembly techniques to achieve clean lines and precise details. As you work, you’ll learn how professional designers use models to test proportion and design intent, gaining insight into how prototypes are used in industry to develop and communicate new products.
The final day is all about presentation and finishing. You’ll apply colour and texture to your model, exploring how different finishes affect the look and feel of a design. You’ll also prepare a short presentation of your project, showcasing your sketches, process and final prototype. By the end of the day, you’ll have a professional quality model and design story to take home and add to your portfolio.
How you’re taught
This course will be delivered in person on Nottingham Trent University.
Contact hours
You will receive 25 contact hours of quality tuition with an experienced tutor.
Careers and employability
The course is designed to give you a real experience of university life, make new friends who share similar interests and develop your portfolio so that ultimately, you can make an informed decision about your future.
You’ll gain valuable skills for careers in furniture and product design, industrial design, interior architecture or other creative pathways. The design thinking and prototyping skills you’ll develop are also useful in broader areas such as engineering, architecture, and model making.
On successful completion of the course, you will receive a certificate of attendance, which will further enhance your CV.
Campus and facilities
You will be based in the School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment on the City Campus.
You will find open-plan studios and well-equipped workshop spaces to develop your ideas and create exciting work.
You’ll also have access to our library to use outside of your short course; whilst you can’t reserve or take away books, you are welcome to use them as a resource for research and referencing.
You will receive an email one week before the course starts with joining instructions on where to go for the first day.
Entry requirements
You should have an enthusiasm for creative design and model making and a desire to design and build something you’ve imagined and want to bring to life.
You must be 15, 16 or 17 years old at the time of the course in order to attend.
Fees and funding
The fee for this course is £545.
Payment is due at the time of booking.
Your course fees cover the cost of studies and include great benefits such as the use of our modern library and free use of the IT equipment and software on the campus during your course.
All your materials and equipment will be provided, but you may also want to bring with you:
- Pens and notepad
- Sketchbook (any size that you feel comfortable working with, either A4 or A3)
- Pencils
- 30 cm ruler
- Sketchpad
- Camera - your phone will be fine
- Laptop and memory stick if you have one – useful but not essential.
You can read the terms and conditions of booking here.
Need accommodation?
Accommodation can be booked separately to the course; the rooms are only a few minutes’ walk from our studios and classrooms, and cost £266 per week, which is ideal if you're looking to be based in Nottingham's lively city centre and want an economical place to stay.
These are single rooms with a private bathroom in shared apartments in Nottingham Trent University’s city campus accommodation.
If you're aged 16 or 17 then you can stay unaccompanied with agreement from a parent/guardian (to support safeguarding, all guests aged 16 and 17 will be accommodated together in the same halls of residence and there is a dedicated Warden available).
If you're aged 15 then you can stay as long as you are accompanied by a parent/guardian (you must book two separate rooms and let us know so we can place you in rooms next to each other).
This option is particularly popular with students completing their Duke of Edinburgh Gold Residential Award.
Find out more and book your accommodation here.
How to apply
You can book this course via the NTU online store:
3 - 7 August 2026, Monday to Friday 10 am - 4 pm, one week
Browse all our summer courses for 15 – 17 year olds.
Any questions?
Contact the short course team:
- Email: creativeshortcourses@ntu.ac.uk
- Tel: +44 (0)115 848 2813
