Most research in the Design Products department is practice-led. Common to all Platforms is a concern for the interface of art and design with society and the environment. Research is conducted in three broad areas. Under the banner 'Extreme Functionality', we question the optimum performance of products, materials and designed outcomes. An awareness of 'Social Manifestos' leads us to consider design as an agent of change in the social and cultural sphere. By considering the 'Fantastic', we ask how design can make positive statements, inspire and convey meaning, and explore the designer’s role as originator, artist, manufacturer and communicator.