Firstly coined in 2019 by Salesforce, the relationship design is both a theory, a mindset, and a method that can be applied to many fields. It draws on several academic disciplines, but it is also concretely applicable to business activities as well as private partnership. As we use it now in our company Tsunagaru, it is part of our ENdemic movement, and we aim at becoming relationship designers. The very name of our company "tsunagaru" means to "connect" in Japanese. Therefore, we assigned a group of members and researchers to work on it, and we came up with those results. Contrarily to the previous approaches of relationship design, we don't use it as a tool for service or product design, but as a goal itself.

1. Endemic approach by ツナガル
RELATIONSHIP
DESIGN academic version

2. THEORIES?

3. 1
THEORIES
THEORIES
Design – Psychology - Sociology
• Human Centered Design
• User & Service design
• Relationship Sciences
• Interpersonal relationship
models
• Relational mobility
• Social exchange theory
• Social learning theory
• Socio-ecological model
DESIGN
SOCIOLOGY
PSYCHOLOGY

4. 1
THEORIES
Family
Beginning of relationship studies, focused on family, first
academic journal (1939) - ABC-X model, theoretical
framework to analyse families by Reuben HILL.
Relationship Sciences
Study of interpersonal relationship processes
Romantic affiliation
Studies on human general affiliative needs (Schachter 1959)
and first interdependence theory (Thibault & Kelley 1959)
Social issues
Open the studies to wellness (Reis, Sheldon, Gable
2000) and social issues, out of romantic partnerships
1959, Harold KELLEY, John THIBAULT “The Psychology of Groups”
1959, Stanley SCHACHTER “The Psychology of Affiliation:
Experimental Studies of the Sources of Gregariousness”
1999, Ellen BERSCHEIDHED “Greening of Relationship Science
2000, REIS, SHELDON, GABLE “Daily Well-being: The Role of
Autonomy, Competence, & Relatedness”
1900-1950
1950-2000
2000
-
now
ABC-X model of Reuben Hill

5. 1
THEORIES
Creative approach to solving people’s problems that begins
with identifying their needs and ends with creating solutions -
products, experiences, and services - that meet those needs.
Human-Centered Design
Stanford University Design School& IDEO design agency (1958 ~)
• Desirable
• Feasible
• Viable
Horst RITTEL (design theorist) “Problems are multidimensional [wicked problem],
hence they require interdisciplinary and collaborative solving that is centred on
human behaviors complexities.
~
1960
1970
• Herbert SIMON, Nobel Prize and cognitive
scientist, 1969 The Sciences of the Artificial
• Stanford University School of design
• Tim BROWN from IDEO design agency
Design solutions
that will be …

6. 1
UX design
Focuses on the experience a person has
with a product.
THEORIES
Service design
Focuses on the interaction between the
user and the company, the processes,
the whole journey of the user.
Relationship design
Focuses on the user’s ongoing relationship in
their life, including with the company.
Illustration by Salesforce - IDEO

7. 1
High mobility
Relationships are based on their personal preferences.
Not guaranteed to last but based on mutual agreement
and many opportunities to build new relationships.
> South American nomadic communities
THEORIES
Low mobility
Relationships are based on circumstances.
Safe and stable relationship but no flexibility
and low chances to build new ones.
> East Asian farmer communities
Relational mobility
How much freedom individuals have to choose
their relationship partners in a given society.
> Relationship mobility scale as a sociometric scale to analyse the relational mobility of a given population
> Thomson, Robert; et al. (2018). "Relational mobility predicts social behaviors in 39 countries and is tied to
historical farming and threat". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 115 (29): 7521–7526

8. 1
THEORIES
Relationships are transactional, individuals
assess them in three steps:
• OUTCOME = REWARDS - COSTS
• SATISFACTION = OUTCOME - CL
• DEPENDENCE = OUTCOME - CLalt
Social Exchange theory
How individuals assess the benefit or not in a relationship
(from interdependence theory – 1959~)
1959, Harold KELLEY, John THIBAULT “The Psychology of Groups”
CL = Comparison Level • Clalt
= Comparison Level for alternative
Assess the Outcome of the relationship
Compare with their expectation
to assess their satisfaction
Compare to other alternative
to assess the dependence
1.
2.
3.

9. WHAT?

10. 1
RELATIONSHIP DESIGN
+
The fact to be connected to
someone or something, and
you interact with them
Verb. - to consciously
and actively shape or
build something
Simple definition
WHAT

11. 2
Family member • 家の人
Friend • 友だち
Client • クライエント
…
Relationship
Family member • 家の人
Friend • 友だち
Client • クライエント
Script
WHAT
Own the relationship
With low relational mobility, each relationship
comes with a label and a script of behaviors,
expectations, etc.

12. Client•客様
Script
How to speak
How to behave What to give
What to expect
Relationship
OUR
WHAT
2 Own the relationship
Regain the ownership of this script and fill it with
your own needs and decisions. Increase your
relational mobility, aim for empowerment.

13. 3 Social ecological model
Urie BRONFENBRENNER published a socio-ecological
model (1986) that integrated the multiple different
levels or domains of an individual's environment.
• Micro = close partners - family
• Meso = friends - acquaintances
• Exo = social services - government
• Macro = culture - social norms
• Chrono = life time context
RELATIONSHIPS
AT ALL SCALES
WHAT
Zoom out
Relationships occur and matter at
all scales and levels.

14. Client • 客様
Product • 商品
Company • 会社
Other clients
Other
companies
Other
companies
Other
companies
Other
companies
Family • 家族
Community
コミュニテイ
Institutions
国立機関
WHAT
3Zoom out

15. 4Change the focus
RELATIONSHIP
CENTERED DESIGN
HUMAN
CENTERED DESIGN
WHAT
Focus not only on the
satisfaction and
wellness of one
individual, but on the
health and quality of
their relationships.

16. 5Mindset and principles
NOT RULES
ルール
ではない
MINDSET
マインドセト
WHAT

17. WHY ?

18. • MORE RESULTS
MORE
UNDERSTANDING
WHY
MORE CHANCE OF SATISFACTION
fears – needs - expectations
If you increase the outcome (Cf. Social exchange theory),
the relationship is more fruitful and lasts longer.

19. • HIGHER COMMITMENT
CO-CREATION
WHY
= OWNERSHIP
MORE TRUST + MORE CONCERNED
= MORE EFFORTS
Following the Social Learning theory, more co-creation and listening will not increase the
immediate concrete outcome, but build the core values and roots of the relationship, bringing
more trust and security and leading to more solid relationships.

20. • BIGGER IMPACT
OWNERSHIP + COMMITMENT
WHY
= PRIDE +
RETENTION
REPRODUCTIBILITY
ECOSYSTEM OF OPPORTUNITIES
By increasing the ownership and the co-creation, it increases the outcome without increasing
the dependence. Everyone can reproduce the framework and extend the ecosystem of partners
and opportunities.

21. • RELATIONSHIPS x
TSUNAGARU
WHY
CORE BELIEF
コアビリーフ
Relationships are
enriching and beneficial to
everyone
ACTIVITIES 活動
Brands – influencers –
communities – countries –
locals – institutions – etc.
RELATIONSHIP CENTERED
Healthy relationships are the output, the results we aim for.
Deep, rich, strong, long lasting, growing relationships.

22. HOW ?

23. WE ARE HUMAN
HOW
HUMAN
1
Client• 客様
Family member
家族の人
Friend • 友だち
Boss • ボス
Team member
チームメンバー
Senpai • 先輩
SAME NEEDS
• feel listened
• feel validated
• feel praised
• feel important
Practice - check in, check out,
congratulations, rephrase the opinion, etc.

24. EMPATHY & LISTENING
HOW
2
SIT
TALK
ASK
LISTEN
CARE
Practice - How would you do it? What do
you think? Tell me more!
?

25. TAKE THE TIME
HOW
3
Practice – Kick-off, fun activities, gift,
extended 自己紹介, etc.
REAL NEED FOR THE PROJECT
PROLOGUE
Emotional warm up,
icebreaker, curiosity
EPILOGUE
Emancipation, closure,
congratulations
Design the relationship and the
emotions before and after the
main project

26. GIVE SPACE & OPPORTUNITIES
HOW
4
Practice – Provide general map of the
project, share your doubts, explain the
methods, etc.
VISIBILE
SKILLS
HIDDEN
SKILLS
Be opened and
transparent
Don’t underestimate
your collaborators

27. CO-CREATE
HOW
5
Practice – Adjust the way you talk, share
the lead, include the other suggestions, etc.
YOUR COLLABORATORS WORK
YOU
FOR WITH
YOU
We are equal, we go together.

28. Questions ?
A MINDSET
THAT WILL BE APPLIED
THROUGH YOUR
ACTIVITIES
RELATIONSHIP
DESIGN