Crime and crime reduction are issues which currently receive little attention from the design profession. However, informed design can be used effectively as a tool for reducing crime associated with environments, products and systems, through designing-in crime reduction during the initial stages of the design development process. This paper describes research carried out as part of the UK government's Crime Reduction Programme, and aimed at raising designers' awareness of crime. It explores how crime reduction can be embedded within design methodologies and procedures, provides some exemplars of practice in three design disciplines, and suggests how design stakeholders can be motivated to 'design against crime' more effectively.