Design computing

Design Computing refers to an area of Design Studies that deals with furthering the understanding and the practice of design activities through the application and development of novel concepts and techniques in computing.

In recent years a number of research and education areas have been grouped under the umbrella term "Design Computing", namely:

- Artificial Intelligence in Design
- Expert and Knowledge-based Systems
- Computational Creativity
- Computer-Aided Design
- Visual and Spatial Modelling
- Computational Analogy
- Automated Design Systems
- Design Support Systems
- Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW)

The main research groups working in this area span from Faculties of Architecture, Engineering and Computer Science. For the last three decades the Key Centre of Design Computing and Cognition (KCDCC) at the University of Sydney, Australia has been a pioneer in this area. In the US this research area is also known as "Design and Computation", namely at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Other relevant research groups include:

- School of Architecture, Carnegie Mellon
- Department of Computer Science, University College London
- Department of Informatics Engineering, Universidade de Coimbra
- Department of Computer Science, Vrije University, Amsterdam
- Creativity and Cognition Studios, University of Technology Sydney
- Department of Computer Science, University of Colorado at Boulder
- Department of Architecture, Tokyo Institute of Technology
- School of Architecture, Carnegie Mellon
- Department of Architecture, MIT
- Department of Computer Science, Helsinki University of Technology
- College of Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology

The biannual International Conference on Design Computing and Cognition (DCC) brings together high quality research on this area.