A system comprises a model generation system and an analyzer. The model generation system is configured to modify a model of a laminated composite structure to meet a user defined objective and to meet at least one of user defined performance constraints or user defined manufacturing constraints by changing at least one ply characteristic of at least one ply of the model while maintaining ply boundary geometry constraints for each ply of the model. The ply boundary geometry constraints of the model generation system include a number of defined ply boundary geometries each described by a respective mathematical function. The analyzer is configured to return objective values or constraint function values for at least one ply of the model.