Design and Economics is a programme of activity pulling together various threads around how design and economics connect, conflict and shape each other. Driven by the Service Design, Social Innovation and Design Leadership programme at Ravensbourne’s new Institute for Creativity and Technology, the first Design and Economics unconference is a collaborative initiative to build momentum and coherence around emergent ideas and conversations. This Design and Economics unconference will not just create a space for economists and designers to meet but—drawing on a rich heritage of design thinking—will explore and map out positive narratives of social and economic progress and modelling. At its heart lies the essential belief that human ingenuity and adaptability - our ability to design solutions to the problems we are facing - can best be addressed by bringing people together, crossing specialisms and tearing up the rule book of conventional thinking. This calls for new narratives around social imaginaries and how these can shape the public sphere, economic development, the emergence of new services and new modes of interaction. Our current core team is listed below but we’re keen to expand this group to ensure the widest possible representation and perspectives. Beyond this, we’re inviting anyone interested in the subject— whatever field, sector or industry they are part of—to be part of the project.