The Brunel Design Research Centre is committed to pioneering design innovation through interdisciplinary research and collaboration, addressing key societal challenges and advancing sustainable solutions.
The Brunel Design Research Centre, established in 2023, is dedicated to advancing the knowledge, understanding, and application of design innovation in products, services, and solutions within rapidly changing socio-technical systems. Our research spans inclusive design, design for sustainability, additive manufacturing, healthcare design, user experience, and interaction design.
Our objectives
- Synergy and innovation: We aim to create synergy among the existing design research groups at Brunel Design School, stimulating opportunities for innovative interdisciplinary research. This involves supporting cross-pollination processes and working at the intersections of existing research groups.
- Collaborations: We strive to strengthen collaborations between design researchers and other disciplines within and beyond 探花视频. This is facilitated through symposia, workshops, collaborative research projects, and PhD co-supervision across disciplines.
- Co-innovation: We experiment with different types of co-innovation to maximise the value contribution of design and design research. This includes industry collaboration projects, research consultancy, and knowledge transfer involving researchers and students.
Why our research matters
Design research plays an important role in interdisciplinary projects, contributing uniquely to large research initiatives at Brunel, such as , , and VOICE. Embedding design within business processes and culture can unlock significant value. Our interdisciplinary design research approach fosters innovation and contributes to the wellbeing of human and non-human beings, sustainability, and inclusion.
To address these needs, we:
- Actively participate in multidisciplinary projects to demonstrate the value of design research
- Organise profile-raising research seminars and conferences, such as the Brunel Research Festival and annual conferences in collaboration with international partners
- Host international visiting researchers and establish new collaborations
- Attract quality PhD researchers through better-coordinated, industry-informed PhD topics and cross-disciplinary co-supervision
- Strengthen connections with businesses and engage stakeholders and students in research and innovation
- Practise and champion open research
Our research impacts various sectors, including circular economy, healthcare, and design tools. It benefits local communities, creative industries, standardisation, businesses, and education.
Specialist equipment and facilities
Our research is supported by state-of-the-art facilities, including: