The strategic orientation towards a modern and widely demanded quality management is said to be substantial for reaching and maintaining competitiveness. Methods and tools to realize related objectives such as quality improvement, cost reduction, and shortening of development periods are often only known by name. However, there are frequently no or only vague ideas about their concrete contents and how they can be used in practice. One of the most efficient techniques of Quality Engineering is the methodology of statistical experimental design (DoE, Design of Experiments). The determination of optimal and robust product characteristics and process conditions, especially before starting large-scale production, increases process capability/safety and therefore improves product quality. All considered experimental parameters are varied in a systematic and balanced way so that a maximum of information and knowledge is gained from the analysis of the experimental results. The intention of this paper is to give an insight into essential principles and possible industrial applications of experimental design by means of examples and completed projects without entering into mathematical and statistical details.