This issue of AIEDAM returns for the third time to the subject of evolutionary design. As in the previous two “mini” special issues (Volume 13, Numbers 3 and 5, 1999), this issue contains three papers focussing on the use of evolutionary algorithms to aid designers by automating part of the design process. These papers provide a showcase of the work of some of the original pioneers of this field as they demonstrate that their research is still at the forefront of developments in evolutionary design. As is fitting for this final special issue, the three papers all concentrate on what most designers recognize as the trickiest stage of the design process for computers: nonroutine, conceptual or innovative design.