The design work of the MQXC quadrupole magnets for the inner triplets is constrained by the baseline planning for the LHC-PP project, its co-funding by the European Union (PF-7), the suppression of superconducting cable development (using existing stock of LHC dipole cable), and the in-house production of the series magnets (with tooling recovered from the LHC production lines). Nevertheless, some innovative features will be implemented: more porous cable insulation, a new collar structure allowing horizontal assembly with a hydraulic collaring press, tuning shims for the adjustment of field quality, a fishbone like structure for the ground-plane insulation, an improved quench-heater design and, possibly, a cartridge-like solution for the routing of busbars. On the other hand, the production will follow established procedures for the curing and assembly of coils in order to match the workflow established in the “large magnet facility”. The design process takes full advantage of the recently improved software tools, featuring quench simulation, 3D coil optimization, and ROXIE-CATIA interfacing for the making of drawings and the manufacturing of coil-end spacers. The talk will focus on the recent design work. The critical paths for the production and cold-testing of the model magnet and prototype will be identified.