A New Economy, by Design

The potential for invention that is available to people today, due to the Information Revolution, is perhaps very commonly underplayed and underestimated.  The truth is, a very large majority of the activities that we engage in today are manifested in computers and networks.  The potential for creating new software is limited only by our imagination; to create a new program or system, we need only to imagine the parameters, determine the best methods of implementing them, and the rest is simply participation.

So, perhaps we can apply this same model to the Economic Shift.  If we seek to create a new economic environment, we have to observe the current trends, discuss the current flaws, and imagine ideal models, but we also need to be active in the design process.  This is a relatively simple task; we all understand the goal (a revised economy, which supports human life in a better manner than the current economy), and we understand the tools available to us (technology & the internet).  The missing ingredients are these; the parameters around which we can define and construct this new economy, and the best methods for implementing them.

So, here is a question for discussion; What are the basic functions around which you would define a successful economy?  In other words, what would a successful economy accomplish?

For example, I would say that a successful economy (if we were to design one) would promote long-term sustainability, technological advancement, and minimize waste output.