21 July - 1 August 2025

Course details

Design engineers are problem solvers who bridge the gap between traditional engineering and design to create innovative solutions to modern challenges, from improving passenger comfort on commercial airlines to designing next-generation sports prostheses. 

It's a highly creative discipline that draws on knowledge of manufacturing techniques, product development, technical design and rapid prototyping to bring new innovations to market, and to improve existing products and the processes used for making them.

More information

Programme structures & format

60 contact hours spread over two weeks covering lectures, workshops, tutorials, project work, social activities and relevant visit.  Classes will be delivered on weekdays.

Students will be allocated in small groups for project work which will be done through team-based learning with supervision. Final project will be presented in groups to a panel of experts on the last day of the programme. A prize will be awarded to the team with the best project.

The entire programme will be taught in English.

Learning Objectives

On completion of this summer school, students will be able to: 

  • Have understood the key innovation methods, and obtained knowledge on creativity and a selection of creative thinking techniques which benefit future academic and professional development.
  • Have developed strategies for utilising design thinking to identify and attempt to solve global challenges with design idea generation.
  • Have gained understanding of the latest research outcome on human factors in design, including how to apply creative design in specific industries, and human-system interaction.
  • Have understood strategies for conducting academic research, learning and translating ideas into design solutions have gained understanding of importance of future-oriented design.
  • Have experienced the value of design in fields such as AI in immersive audio design and gamification innovation.
  • Have understood the styles and roles of leadership, and developed strategies to nurture and enhance their leadership as future innovators.
  • Have gained practical hand-on experience in a dedicated and guided environment, where design ideas are transformed from concepts into prototypes ready for further development in details.
  • Have understood and experienced the whole innovative design process, from concept design to fast prototyping, in order to tackle an identified challenge
  • Have developed strategies for communicating and presenting design thinking and practice.

In addition, students will have an opportunity to make new friends, get to know student ambassadors from Imperial College London through social activities and discuss opportunities for future study and experience what it is like to study in a world class university.

Session Descriptions

This summer school will equip students with insights on creativity, innovation and design through inspiring lectures and practical workshops.  Students will be introduced with evolutionary, revolutionary and experimental methods for design-led innovation modules such as data-centric, AI in immersive audio design, smart city, etc., which echo their existing training in Engineering domains, and provide further inspiration for innovation.

Design Thinking investigates the evolution of key design processes, their advantages and limits in practice, and propose the integrated and comprehensive design process. Students will benefit from learning about the latest development of research in creativity and innovation methods, as well as a selection of effective techniques to enhance their creativity in personal and professional capacity. In addition, students will gain real-life design experience in a fun and practical approach for team prototyping in a selection of design activities, to enhance their understanding of design thinking and to break down the barriers between theoretical planning and practical achievements.

Students will also be introduced to the latest development of human factors in design research, as well as leadership, innovation and enterprise, with the focus on evolving interactions between innovators and systems. The value of the application of interactive design practice will be investigated through growingly popular domains such as design for wellbeing and fun.

Students, as future innovators, are encouraged to lead the change, but not subject to it. The talk on design for future includes elements of Future Products, Human Factors, and Development for Global Markets. Students are challenged to explore the future impact of their present design activities, and therefore, encouraged to learn and understand the importance of strategies for innovation research and design engineering.

Apply Learning Through Group Project

Practical insights are expected to be obtained from the hand-on realisation of design for students in a dedicated prototyping environment with pioneering facilities and techniques. In the Design Engineering ACE workshop, students will have access to mechanical, electronics and digital manufacturing facilities, wood and metal workshops, and hand-on demonstration and tutoring supports. The creative design ideas will be transformed into realised subjects through guided concept design and fast prototyping.

Students will present their team projects on design and innovation, integrated with entrepreneurship elements on the last day of the summer school.

Teaching faculty

Design Engineering for Innovation Summer School will be taught by a team of multidisciplinary academics from Dyson School of Design Engineering.

Dyson School of Design Engineering

The Dyson School of Design Engineering is the 10th and newest engineering department at Imperial College London. It was founded in 2014 and assisted by a generous donation from the James Dyson Foundation.  Design Engineering is the fusion of design thinking, and engineering knowledge and practice within a culture of innovation and enterprise, to help solve global problems with emphasis on sustainability, entrepreneurship and societal impact.

Interdisciplinarity and cross-cutting skills are an integral part of what differentiates the Dyson School of Design Engineering.  Design engineers weave together different disciplines, methods and ways of thinking for a uniquely multifaceted approach to solving complex problems. By being able to think both like engineers and like designers, and by engaging with expertise in mathematics, psychology, policymaking, business, and other fields, our students enter the world uniquely equipped to innovate effectively, lead responsibly, and manage the complexity inherent to product innovation and to tackling major global challenges. 

Design engineers are problem solvers who bridge the gap between traditional engineering and design to create innovative solutions to modern challenges, from improving passenger comfort on commercial airlines to designing next-generation sports prostheses. It's a highly creative discipline that draws on knowledge of manufacturing techniques, product development, technical design and rapid prototyping to bring new innovations to market, and to improve existing products and the processes used for making them.

The students on the Summer School will benefit from the interdisciplinary excellence of research and teaching, the interaction with real-world leaders in design, innovation, and enterprise, as well as practical prototyping capacities offered by the Dyson School of Design Engineering.

Entry requirements

Students expectation :

  • Studying an undergraduate degree and preferably in the final two years in:
    • preferable engineering subject
    • interest in design engineering
  • Applicants must be at least 18 years old before the start of the summer school.
  • All students are required to have a good command of English, and if it is not their first language, they will need to satisfy the College requirement as follows:
    • a minimum score of IELTS (Academic Test) 6.5 overall (with no less than 6.0 in any element) or equivalent.
    • TOEFL (iBT) 92 overall (minimum 20 in all elements)
  • Students will be asked to bring along a laptop computer for project work.
Certification

Students will receive a Imperial College London certificate of attendance on successful completion of this programme and a prize will be awarded to the best project team.

Each student will also receive a document for their project marks.