This paper discusses a new method for targeting the minimum capital and total costs of mass exchange networks. This method makes it possible to optimise total cost with respect to minimum driving force ahead of design. The method is applied to four literature problems which had previously been optimised using a mathematical programming approach and shows that substantial improvements are possible. Networks can be designed to closely approach the optimised total:annual cost target. Designs for the four problems using the new approach have total annual costs which achieve this and are consistently lower than those of previous optimum designs.