Understanding how water droplets interact with engineered surfaces can help address critical challenges such as ice accumulation on airplanes, wind turbines, and power lines, which can pose safety risks and result in costly damage. This research examines how surface properties, including roughness and water-repellent coatings, influence the behavior of droplets as they spread, rebound, or freeze. By utilizing high-speed imaging techniques, the study captured droplet behavior on various materials, identifying key surface design features that improve water repellency. To ensure these surfaces can endure real-world conditions, the study introduced innovative imaging and durability testing protocols. Using 3D profiling, the research tracked microscopic changes in surface structures over time and under stress, such as scratching, peeling, and chemical exposure. These tests identified critical points where surfaces start to lose their water-repellent and anti-icing properties, providing valuable insights into how to enhance material durability. The work also developed a custom-built Supercooled Box Device to simulate extreme freezing conditions, such as freezing rain, and test surface performance in controlled environments. This tool serves as a base for future investigations into how superhydrophobic surfaces (SHS) can be optimized for anti-icing applications, offering a modular platform to explore freezing droplet dynamics and assess surface effectiveness in realistic, controlled conditions. By combining droplet impact analysis, durability testing, and experimental facilities, this research provides a comprehensive framework for creating surfaces that are both highly effective at repelling water and robust enough to endure harsh environments. The findings have significant implications for advancing safer and more sustainable technologies in aviation, energy, and infrastructure industries. / Doctor of Philosophy / Understanding how water droplets behave on engineered surfaces can help solve real-world problems like ice accumulation on airplanes, wind turbines, or power lines, which can be both dangerous and costly. This research explores how surface features such as roughness and water-repellent coatings affect the way droplets spread, rebound, or freeze. High-speed imaging techniques were used to capture droplet behavior on various materials, uncovering the key design features that make surfaces more effective at repelling water. To ensure these surfaces can endure real-world conditions, the study introduced innovative imaging and durability testing protocols. Using advanced tools, the research tracked microscopic changes in surface structures over time and under stress, such as scratching, peeling, and chemical exposure. These tests identified critical points where surfaces start to lose their water-repellent and anti-icing properties, providing valuable insights into how to enhance material durability. In addition, the study replicated extreme weather scenarios with a custom-built supercooled box, creating controlled freezing rain environments to test surface performance under icy conditions. This setup bridges the gap between laboratory experiments and real-world applications, enabling detailed evaluations of how different surfaces handle challenging environments. By combining these approaches, this work offers a comprehensive framework for designing surfaces that are both highly effective at preventing ice and resilient enough to withstand harsh conditions. The findings have significant potential for advancing safer, more efficient, and sustainable technologies in industries such as aviation, renewable energy, and infrastructure.