The Product Design & Development Lab (PDD), established in 2006 and founded by Dr Kevin C. Its interdisciplinary team of designers, engineers, medical doctors and communication experts undertake practical research and projects with industry to advance an approach to design within the team. It has a special research focus on design for “Health Care and Promotion,” “Innovation Design,” and “Product
Design and Development.” The group has experience in national and international research activities in a number of areas including Aging and Special Need Issues, Inclusive Design, Innovation in Product Design and Development, Interaction Design, Concurrent Engineering (CE) for Global Product Development, Software Development, Expert Systems for Industrial applications, Human-Computer Interaction, Sustainable Design, and Multimedia Research. The group brings together teaching staff and researchers, working on a range of interrelated areas. The lab is currently engaged and worked in both research projects and commercial activities with a range of external business, academic, government and voluntary sector partners. Our research has a focus on how to develop people-centred products, from the initial design stage through to completion and mass production, in the shortest timescales. Our research approach in product design and development facilitates the production that enables minimum environmental impact, more energy efficiency, and the inclusion of social and ethical aspects of sustainability.
