01Invention & imagination
Designing unusual tools, habitats and systems that stretch both creativity and logic.
FreeLive online · Ages 8–12Waitlist open
A free design bootcamp for kids
Eight weekly live classes where kids aged 8 to 12 learn to think like designers: inventing, designing for real people, telling the story behind an idea and shaping it into an app concept, with AI as a tool they question rather than a shortcut.
No experience needed. No card. Taught by product designer Nur Gökdoğan, for KraftStories, the studio behind Local NYC Events.
8weeks1live class a week12kids max
FormatLive online classes
Length8 weeks, one session a week
Ages8 to 12, no experience needed
GroupUp to 12 kids per cohort
Taught byNur Gökdoğan, product designer
PriceFree
Who’s teaching
A product designer who has taught design to all ages
Nur has spent his career designing apps people use every day, most recently as a senior product designer at GoDaddy and FieldLevel, and before that at the San Francisco app studio PlusMinusOne, where the apps he designed passed 8 million downloads.
He came to design through applied mathematics and fine art, and studied type design at TypeWest. In Palo Alto he founded Design Confusion, a small school that taught UX and UI design to students of all ages through storytelling and improv. That is the approach he brings to every class here.
He teaches every session himself, and keeps groups to 12 so each child gets real feedback on their work.
- 8M+
- downloads of apps he designed
- GoDaddy · FieldLevel · PlusMinusOne
- where he has worked as a senior product designer
- All ages
- taught design at Design Confusion
Eight weeks
What they explore
It might look like sketching inventions and designing simple apps. Underneath, every project is practice in thinking clearly and designing for someone else.
01
02Human-centered design
Learning that good design starts with understanding what someone else needs.
03Storytelling & expression
Finding a voice through visual storytelling, symbols and short presentations.
04Accessibility & empathy
Seeing how thoughtful design makes life easier, safer and more inclusive.
05App & interface thinking
How digital products are planned, structured and used, screen by screen.
06AI for young creators
Using AI to brainstorm and iterate, while learning that human judgment comes first.
What it builds
What kids leave with
More than finished projects: the confidence to share an idea, better problem-solving habits, empathy, early experience with design and digital thinking, and a healthier relationship with technology and AI.
- 1
Think clearly
Break big ideas into smaller parts, ask practical questions and make thoughtful decisions.
- 2
Create with purpose
Creativity as a way to solve problems and help others, not only to make things look good.
- 3
Speak with confidence
Present ideas, take feedback and explain their thinking with more clarity and courage.
- 4
Design for real people
Build empathy by designing for others, from older people to people with disabilities.
- 5
Use AI thoughtfully
Treat AI as a tool to guide and question, never a shortcut that does the thinking.
Who it’s for
- Kids who are imaginative and full of ideas
- Kids who like drawing, building, inventing or telling stories
- Kids curious about technology who would benefit from thoughtful guidance
- Kids who want to feel more confident sharing what they think
- Families who want future-ready skills without losing creativity and warmth
What you’ll need
- A computer with internet and a webcam
- Free, beginner-friendly design tools, which we introduce in class
- No software to buy and no coding
Classes are live and online, so kids join from home, from any borough.
Waitlist open
Save your child a free place
Two minutes. We only ask what we need to place kids in the right group and email you the dates.
Questions
What parents ask
Is it really free?
Yes. Families who join through this site pay nothing: no card, no deposit, no trial that turns into a charge.
When does it start?
The next cohort’s dates aren’t set yet, so for now it’s a waitlist. We’ll email everyone on the list as soon as dates are confirmed, with how to secure a place. Groups are capped at 12 kids.
Does my child need any design or tech experience?
No. It’s built for beginners. The first weeks start with imagination and invention, and every tool is introduced step by step.
How is this different from a coding camp?
There’s no coding. Kids learn design thinking, empathy, storytelling and problem-solving, then use those skills to shape an app idea.
What is a session like?
Live and interactive, more like a small studio than a lecture. Kids share their work, discuss ideas as a group, get feedback and work on hands-on challenges.
What if my child misses a session?
We send a short summary and catch-up guidance so they can rejoin the next week.
How does the AI part work?
AI is introduced as a creative thinking tool: how to write clearer prompts, compare strong and weak answers, and why their own judgment matters most. It’s guided and age-appropriate.
Who teaches it?
Nur Gökdoğan, a product designer who has worked at GoDaddy, FieldLevel and PlusMinusOne, and who founded Design Confusion, a design school for students of all ages. He teaches every session himself.
Who runs it?
KraftStories, the craft studio behind this site. That’s a conflict of interest, so we say so here. The bootcamp is ours; it isn’t a listing we checked at another venue.