How are the rise of design and neoliberalism connected? How does design change the way we operate as economic beings? What is the economic significance of design?

Historically, design has been promoted for its capacity to add value to products and services. In contemporary capitalism, however, it assumes a more central and more complex role. Design today is both influenced by, and actively shapes, our economic systems.

This ground-breaking book shines a spotlight on how design has become embedded in political economies. Drawing on a range of global examples, it reveals the multiple ways in which design has emerged as a vital feature of neoliberal economic systems, from urban strategies to commercial processes to government policy-making.

Economies of Design provides a thought-provoking new way of understanding and talking about the meanings of design in contemporary capitalism. It is an essential companion for students of design and the creative industries across the arts, humanities, and social sciences.