What we do
The Center for Research in Design and Innovation was founded in 2008 to support interdisciplinary research at Penn State. The CRDI supports efforts in foundational science as it relates to understanding the cognitive science and social science bearing on design work and the design of products, technologies and tools such as new design languages, design methods, and design technologies.
Research
CRDI supports foundational and transformative research in a breadth of Design and Innovation topics.
Our Faculty
From business, to engineering, to the liberal arts and beyond, CRDI represents interdisciplinary expertise.
Events
CRDI supports a wide range of events from keynote speakers, to faculty workshops, to DesignXChanges
News
Learn more about recent news stories from our CRDI faculty and community
Generating New Ideas. Solving Big Problems.
Design is an intellectual fulcrum that integrates concepts and skills across disciplines and professions to shape and reshape the world. The CRDI fosters interdisciplinary partnerships to tackle wicked problems both within and outside of Penn State.
Departments Engaged
Colleges represented
Interdisciplinary faculty
Engineering Disciplines
Why we are different
CRDI focuses on engaged scholarship that integrates interdisciplinary expertise at Penn State and beyond. We focus on design as both a process and an end product, recognizing our need to continually contribute and expand our understanding in both areas. By bringing together thought leaders, scholars, and industrial experts we have the unique ability to change not only the field of design, but impact design as a scientific area of study.
Our Skills
Our faculty bring together a wide range of interdisciplinary expertise to tackle large problems.
CRDI recognizes that true innovation happens at the cusp of many disciplines. As such, our faculty represent a variety of disciplinary expertise to sustain our impact. We have representation from 8 different Penn State Colleges and 8 engineering disciplines.
- Engineering – 58%
- Arts and Architecture – 18%
- Information Sciences – 9 %
- Business – 8%
- Liberal Arts – 5 %
- Health and Human Development – 2%
- Education – 2%
- Medicine – 2%