  We present a functional framework for automated mechanism design based on a
two-stage game model of strategic interaction between the designer and the
mechanism participants, and apply it to several classes of two-player infinite
games of incomplete information. At the core of our framework is a black-box
optimization algorithm which guides the selection process of candidate
mechanisms. Our approach yields optimal or nearly optimal mechanisms in several
application domains using various objective functions. By comparing our results
with known optimal mechanisms, and in some cases improving on the best known
mechanisms, we provide evidence that ours is a promising approach to parametric
design of indirect mechanisms.
