After writing the title and brainstorming some thoughts on social design, I realized that perhaps I too am (or could be) a social designer (sans any formal training). That being said,
Here are my notes on social design:
thought-provoking,
proper perspective,
intelligent,
challenges assumptions, provoking of double-takes, resource-moderate (not resource-intensive),
with intention,
more than a modicum of forethought to its externality costs,
of value to society (not only a select few),
fun (whimsical at times)...

We are (or have the ability to be) so much smarter than the majority of what human beings design, but the gravity of the regression to the mean pulls us toward mediocrity.