The Design CORE has several interconnected strands of design research and is currently active at both an Irish and International level. The design CORE is engaged with connecting design with the wider spheres of innovation, business practice and sustainable development. The CORE is closely linked to the work on the undergraduate courses in Industrial Design and Product Design Innovation.
The specific strands of research activity include the following:
1. Sustainable Design - developing Multi and Interdisciplinary models and tools for sustainable design practice and sustainable design education.
2. The WINNOVATE project which conducts applied research by design students and staff in conjunction with small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs). This research assists SMEs to develop capacity and understanding for the use of Design for competitive Advantage.
3. 3D Visualisation & Rapid Prototyping (RP) in design - The Design CORE has a full suite of both state of the Art and traditional equipment to allow researchers explore the relationship between 3 dimensional form and user interaction/experience with products.