Designing
Intangibles

A community for people working at the edges of design where policy, culture, and practice meet.

Find out more

What this is

Some of the most interesting design work is happening in places where design doesn't always have a clear name. Community. Policy. Culture. The kind of work where the thing you're shaping is always slightly out of grasp and the approaches you take are constantly in flux.

Designing Intangibles is a small community gathering for people navigating those conditions and trying to figure out what good practice looks like in them.

It's rooted in design as a framing and anchor, but it isn't just for people who call themselves designers. If you recognise the territory, you're welcome here.

Who it's for

People working in the design of things that aren't always tangible: policy design, co-design, culture, organisational design.

A space where academia and practice come together. Researchers, public servants, strategists, practitioners. Anyone navigating the same conditions and trying to figure out what good looks like.

How we do it

We keep it offline-centred with minimal overhead. We're okay with it being small if that's what it stays. We have no fixed outcomes or predetermined outputs. The point is just to create space for honest conversation with people working in similarly complex spaces.

We want it to be an accessible, inclusive and welcoming space with an open structure. We're very open to people hosting versions of this in other places, and in other forms.

The format

Join here or here* or here* or here 1 hour from A to B Accessible route Bring your wheels, bring your baby Whatever you need to bring is welcome 1 hour in one place Predetermined destination The discussion continues together No outcomes or notes, just thinking out loud together *live location will be shared on the day

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A meandering talk

We meet and make our way along a route together, carrying shared prompts. Smaller conversations happen naturally as we go, and there's no pressure to speak to everyone.

A probe to carry

Each gathering has a topic and a few prompts. Something to spark thinking before you arrive, or just something to hold in mind on the day.

Congregate

We end somewhere comfortable and discuss where we've landed. We let threads that started in groups continue in the open.

Rhythm

Every few months in line with the seasons. Minimal prep for everyone. Bring your own cup if you have one.

Gatherings

Now open

The changing role of design

Starting at Howard Place, Stockbridge, finishing at Custom Lane Thursday 4th June, 12:00–14:00

We'll be carrying one question with us: How is design showing up in your life, your role, and your space right now?

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Prompt archive

Gathering #1 June 2026, Edinburgh

How is design showing up in your life, your role, your space right now?

Take this somewhere

Keeping it offline and local.

Designing Intangibles is rooted in Edinburgh. We want to keep it small, grounded, and tied to place. Maybe eventually it'll grow into a network, but for now we're happy to share.

Start a local version, adapt it, make it yours.

We're figuring this out as we go, and we're happy to share what's working. We've written up what we know so far: a guide to the format including our notes on what's felt important, some example prompts, and a few things we'd do differently next time.

Read our starting notes
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Stay in the loop

Come along or follow from a distance.

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