The 19th International Design Conference
(DESIGN 2026)

Cavtat, Dubrovnik, Croatia
18 - 21 May 2026

DESIGN 2026 - Call for Papers
Full Paper Submission Deadline: 15 November 2025

INVITATION

Discussion and further development of all aspects of design knowledge from cognition and philosophy to methods and tools, from research theory to practice.

The DESIGN Conference programme offers broad exchange possibilities to researchers and practitioners, strategic decision makers, managers, design and engineering professionals, national or regional agencies or governmental bodies.

Our goal is to bring together researchers and practitioners who have worked on or thought about engineering and industrial design from various perspectives, disciplines, and fields: engineering, aesthetics, ergonomics, psychology, sociology and the like...

• DESIGN THEORY AND RESEARCH METHODS
• DESIGN ORGANISATION, COLLABORATION AND MANAGEMENT
• DESIGN INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE
• DESIGN METHODS AND TOOLS
• HUMAN BEHAVIOUR AND DESIGN CREATIVITY
• DESIGN FOR SUSTAINABILITY
• DESIGN FOR HEALTHCARE
• DESIGN FOR ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
• ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND DATA-DRIVEN DESIGN
• INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
• SYSTEMS ENGINEERING AND DESIGN
• DESIGN EDUCATION
• ENGINEERING DESIGN PRACTICE

A detailed description of the topics is available at: https://www.designconference.org/topics

INFORMATION ABOUT THE CONFERENCE

By tradition, the DESIGN Conference serves as a forum for discussing and advancing engineering design knowledge—spanning engineering design science, computer science, cognitive science, philosophy, methodological innovation, and the practical application of design research. We are dedicated to bridging theoretical underpinnings and hands-on practice in an ever-changing world where design is pivotal. The previous event showcased 305 papers and hosted over 450 participants from more than 30 countries.

Applied, theoretical, and results-oriented papers from academia and industry, based on thorough analysis or argumentation, will be considered for the conference programme. The submitted papers should fit into one of the proposed conference topics. It is expected that these specific topics are extensive and non-exhaustive.

A list of example keywords is added to illustrate the core topics. It is required explicitly from all contributors to show how they contribute to the overall research within these areas. A detailed description of topics and instructions for online submission is available at www.designconference.org.

Programme chairs welcome high-quality submissions covering substantial, original, and previously unpublished research. Rigour academic research should provide designers with the next generation of methods and tools appropriate to the demands.

IMPORTANT DATES

• Full paper submission deadline: November 15, 2025
• Final acceptance of papers: February 2, 2026
• Publish ready papers: February 16, 2026
• Final conference program: April 2026
• DESIGN 2026 Conference: May 18-21, 2026

PROGRAMME CHAIRS

• John Clarkson, University of Cambridge, UK
• Tim McAloone, Technical University of Denmark, DEN
• Julie Stahl-Le Cardinal, CentraleSupelec, FRA
• Sandro Wartzack, Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, GER
• Mario Štorga, University of Zagreb, HRV
• Stanko Škec, University of Zagreb, HRV

DESIGN Conference papers are published online on the Cambridge Core journal pages as Proceedings of the Design Society: DESIGN Conference. All papers are indexed in Scopus and Web of Science CPCI and are referenced in CrossRef with a DOI. Selected papers will be invited to be extended and published in the Design Science Journal.

Further information is available via the Call for Papers document below and on the DESIGN 2026 website: https://www.designconference.org