The Tribology and Design Conference explores the role of technology and design in the broader sense. It aims to bring together colleagues from different disciplines interested in problems of surface interaction and design. The range of applications covers from geomechanics to nano problems and from sustainability issues to advanced materials. It has never been so important for the designer to consider product and system durability in relation to reliability and sustainability issues. The topics for discussion also cover studies of tribology in nature and how the resulting lessons can be applied by the designers. Another important theme is the application of tribology in biomechanics, a field in which surface mechanics in general is of fundamental importance.