Book excerpt: Today it is more important than ever for designers to consider product and system durability in relation to reliability and sustainability issues. Containing papers presented at the Fourth International Conference on Tribology and Design, Tribology and Design II brings together work by colleagues from different disciplines interested in problems of surface interaction and design. The topics covered include; Design tools; Test methods; Surface engineering; Tribology under extreme conditions; Surface measurements; Advances in lubrication; Wear mechanics; Plasticizers and slip additives; Tribology in biomechanics; Nano-tribology and design; Tribology in space applications; Reliability and life-oriented design; Advanced materials.