Conventional reliability-based design optimization (RBDO) requires to use the most probable point (MPP) method for a probabilistic analysis of the reliability constraints. A new approach is presented, called as the minimum error point (MEP) method or the MEP based method, for reliability-based design optimization, whose idea is to minimize the error produced by approximating performance functions. The MEP based method uses the first order Taylor’s expansion at MEP instead of MPP. Examples demonstrate that the MEP based design optimization can ensure product reliability at the required level, which is very imperative for many important engineering systems. The MEP based reliability design optimization method is feasible and is considered as an alternative for solving reliability design optimization problems. The MEP based method is more robust than the commonly used MPP based method for some irregular performance functions. Conventional reliability-based design optimization (RBDO) requires to use the most probable point (MPP) method for a probabilistic analysis of the reliability constraints. A new approach is presented, called as the minimum error point (MEP) method or the MEP based method , for reliability-based design optimization, whose idea is to minimize the error produced by approximating performance functions. The MEP based method uses the first order Taylor’s expansion at MEP instead of MPP. Examples demonstrate that the the MEP based design optimization can guarantee product reliability at the required level, which is very imperative for many important engineering systems. The MEP based reliability design optimization method is feasible and is considered as an alternative for solving reliability design optimization problems. The MEP based method is more robust than the commonly used MPP based method for some irregular performance functions.