We draw on evidence, rigour and creative practice to empower creators to build a more humane future. 

The definition above aims to articulate an epicenter around which our activities revolve. With the description below, we further expand specific words in the definition to help define the department not by a boundary, but by a central point of ambition around which research, teaching and associated strategy revolve.

• Evidence, rigour and creative practice represents the origin of our work which might be adjusted.
• Creators are those who build a future and is meant to be broader than designers or engineers.
• Build is a focus on a proactive and prescriptive approach to realising a future rather than descriptive work (only), common to many kinds of research. 
• Humane emphasises an ethical and just future with people considered though not necessarily human centred. 

As outlined by our Head of Department in his message, design engineering stands as a transformative discipline challenging traditional engineering norms. The conventional emphasis on crafting "better things" has evolved, now necessitating a commitment to "making things better" amidst the pressing issues of climate change, sustainability, and socially just transitions to a net-zero future. At the Dyson School of Design Engineering, we respond to this imperative by pioneering a unique philosophy that extends beyond established concepts such as human-centered design. Our focus on the co-design of technologies and behaviors, within a unified framework of engineering systems and consumption management, redefines the landscape of design engineering. Join us in this transformative journey, where innovation aligns with purpose, and together, we shape a future that is not just advanced but inherently better.