Research

Good design is fundamental to product success and improvements in people and processes are just as vital for the health of a business as developments in technology. The Cambridge Engineering Design Centre delivers practical tools and methods to industry, based on rigorous research and a deep understanding of engineering design.

The Centre's research and knowledge transfer activities are coordinated within the groups listed below:

Aeronautical Design

Faster, cleaner, safer flight The aim of this group is to research the role of computational models in the delivery of highly interactive technical systems: by developing high performance design optimisation approaches; by studying the use of robust computational design in aerospace systems; by...

Change Management

Modelling change in systems The Change Management Group researches the impact of change propagation in complex systems made up of components, activities or people. In particular, we are researching how knowledge of change propagation can influence the development of product architectures and design...

Computational Design

Integrated optimisation methods and tools The aim of this group is to improve the design process and designed products by effectively exploiting the potential of computational synthesis, search, optimisation and analysis tools to support and enhance the creativity and decision-making of engineering...

Design Creativity

Understanding and supporting creative design practice The Design Creativity Group researches how new ideas are developed and implemented, the barriers to such processes and how such barriers can be overcome. Our research is highly interdisciplinary, and this is manifest in two ways. First, when...

Design Management

Managing design to create better products The Design Management Group researches the role of understanding and improving the way the ways in which design and new product development are managed on the successful delivery of new products and services. In particular, we are researching how such...

Health Systems Design

Improving Improvement The Health Systems Design Group researches the role of systems thinking in the UK Health Service as a means to deliver safe, effective and affordable care. In particular, we are researching how to define and embed an evidence-based systems engineering culture in the UK Health...

Inclusive Design

Countering design exclusion The Inclusive Design Group researches the interplay between the demands products and services make of their users and the diverse range of capabilities of those users. In particular, we are researching how knowledge of inclusive design thinking can enable the design of...

Intelligent Interactive Systems

Designing, building and studying interactive systems We focus on understanding how to design interactive systems that enable people to be more creative, expressive and satisfied in their daily lives. We build systems that amplify people's ability to efficiently interact with computer systems...

International Health Systems

Systems for health equity The International Health Systems group is an interdisciplinary team comprised of academic engineers and clinicians. We research the improvement of healthcare, through systems thinking, with partners across the world. We believe in a model of participatory action research...

Process Management

Improving design process performance The Process Management Group researches the role and nature of process modelling in the successful delivery of new products and services. In particular, we are researching how the modelling and analysis of design processes can influence the timely introduction...

Sustainable Design

Resource efficiency and sustainable design Sustainable Design is also known as the Resource Efficiency Collective. Together, we seek answers to a challenging question: how can we deliver future energy and material services, while at the same time reducing resource use and environmental impact...

Transport Design

Improving the passenger experience The aim of this group is to research the design of more usable, sustainable and inclusive transport systems: by applying inclusive design approaches to the design of digital transport services; by using population data to inform design decisions for transport...

Engineering Design Centre