experimental design Central Composite Design An experimental design consisting of three distinct sets of experimental runs: A factorial (perhaps fractional) design in the factors studied, each having two levels; A set of center points, experimental runs whose values of each factor are the medians of the values used in the factorial portion. This point is often replicated in order to improve the precision of the experiment; A set of axial points, experimental runs identical to the centre points except for one factor, which will take on values both below and above the median of the two factorial levels, and typically both outside their range. All factors are varied in this way. [wikipedia]