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What does design engineering look like to you? At Imperial College London’s Dyson School of Design Engineering, the answer is as unique as the students who walk through its doors. Irina Barzykina’s journey revolved around discovering the perfect balance between technical precision and creative freedom.
“From actively researching user groups, conducting interviews and prototyping to developing a functional product, pitching and forecasting the future of a design with impressive detail, the methods involved at every stage and the way of thinking that underpins my degree are absolutely invaluable,” says the 2023 Design Engineering (MEng) alumna. “These factors made me someone who remains curious.”
That’s what a Dyson School education is all about. It lifts aspiring visionaries beyond their comfort zones. This aim persists throughout the rest of the school’s postgraduate offerings. From mastering computer-aided tools and optimisation to exploring human factors, design processes, and enterprise skills, students in their MSc programmes build a skillset as diverse as the products they’ll bring to life and the challenges they’ll solve.
Barzykina flexes these competencies today as a Senior Analyst at Deutsche Bank, specialising in product design and user research. “It’s a direct outcome of what I have done and achieved within my degree,” she says. “I am forever grateful for the projects I had as part of my modules, as they were an incredible chance to test oneself in a collaborative environment while also maintaining individual responsibility.”
The Dyson School was founded in 2014 with support from the James Dyson Foundation. Source: Imperial College London
The collaborative environment Barzykina speaks of isn’t reserved for those who follow in her footsteps with the four-year Design Engineering (MEng). Dyson School’s culture of support, teamwork, and innovation uplifted Ege Cogulu from day one of his Design Engineering (MSc).
“I always imagined an MSc degree experience would be slightly lonely, but it has been the opposite,” he says. “A lot of our assignments are group work tasks. So, you learn to work with various people with different work styles, and you learn to adjust. This groupwork-focused structure creates a very strong cohort — I know everyone in this MSc, and most people can say the same thing.”
This level of connection doesn’t come at the expense of creativity or independence — instead, it enhances both. After all, the Design Engineering (MSc) merges human-centred design, product innovation, and rigorous engineering, unlocking projects that are just as meaningful as they are hands-on.
Take his Robotics Research Project, for instance. Under Professor Thrishantha Nanayakkara’s guidance, he explored the morphology of the human finger to understand tactile perception — an endeavour inspired by bioinspiration and aimed at developing a robotic finger capable of sensing touch with precision. “Professor Nanayakkara treats us like PhD scholars, giving us access to his lab and the freedom to design our own methods,” says Cogulu.
Design Engineering in Context sees students acting as experts, too. In this module, Cogulu and his team were tasked with designing for an ageing population. The prompt took them to Hyde Park, where conversations with older adults provided raw insights that transformed their ideation process. The result was an interactive stepping exercise mat, embedded with pressure sensors that coordinate the visual feedback, that makes fitness engaging and — importantly — fun.
Design Engineering is Imperial’s 10th and newest engineering department. Source: Imperial College London
For students interested in future careers in research, the Design Engineering Research (MRes) programme is equally experiential, blending taught modules with the Research Master’s Project, which focuses on pushing the boundaries of design engineering knowledge. Here, projects range from using generative AI to support co-design in multi-disciplinary teams to exploring flexible design techniques for future lunar infrastructure.
This diversity of focus and projects are mirrored across the other PGT programmes of the School.
For instance, creating meaningful change through the development of planet-friendly tech is the mission that drives students on the Cleantech Innovation (MSc). This unique programme for aspiring climate innovators is delivered alongside Imperial’s Grantham Institute, an internationally renowned hub for climate research and innovation. With access to leading climate experts and the Undaunted Greenhouse — one of Europe’s top climate accelerators — as well as opportunities to collaborate with industry experts, students develop both a deep understanding of the climate challenges we face and the skills needed to build and launch their own pioneering ventures in the areas of energy, materials, manufacturing, water, transport, and food.
As another examples, the Design with Behaviour Science (MSc) creates impactful solutions for real-world challenges; but by combining behavioural insights with human-centred design. It equips learners to understand, develop, and monitor behavioural design interventions by merging design-led tools with behavioural science theory. In the process, they master the art of gathering insights, making sense of complex information, and identifying opportunities to address challenges — whether performance-based, systemic, societal, or global.
Across these programmes, students never work in silos. Collaboration is at the heart of everything they do, whether it’s transforming kombucha waste into textiles in the biomaterials lab, or launching start-ups that build air-deployed, eco-friendly concrete water tanks — an innovation that has raised over one million pounds since its launch.
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