Ways people are connected to others.
Personal and work relationships can directly affect a person’s actions and decision-making. One person can be a mother, a sister, a grandmother, a co-worker, a boss, and/or a combination of any of these. These relationships can frame a person’s total identity. A person who is a parent often chooses to do things in their children’s best interests instead of their own. Relationships aren’t just between people—some relationships with their pets or plants can shape their priorities and provide a source of belonging and relatedness.
Examples of Relationships
- A brother
- A person’s “church family”
- Fellow soldiers in an army patrol
- A pet parakeet
- The neighbor who lives in the apartment above
- Co-workers
Researching Relationships
Researching relationships and the strengths of those relationships can reveal a person’s priorities and preferred behaviors. It reveals the roles a person has to play in their daily activities. Knowing these roles can suggest a person’s time limitations, where they must spend money, and other responsibilities.
Questions to Ask
- Who is this person “responsible” for?
- With whom does this person spend their free time?
- What decisions must this person make for other people in their lives?
Look For
- People spending time with children
- Calendar items scheduling events with others
- Friends having fun together
- People visiting others in hospitals
- Visits to graveyards/memorials/services
Design and Relationships
People’s relationships can be a constraint and a reason to design a product, service, or system. Sometimes, a design will not “work” if a person’s relationships make it undesirable or prevent its use. In other cases, designers may need to create something to repair, reinforce, or recognize important relationships.
Designing to Improve Relationships
Designing Within Relationships Constraints
Keywords
Sources
Social Science
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Turner, J. C., & Reynolds, K. J. (2012). Self-Categorization Theory. In P. A. M. V. Lange, A. W. Kruglanski, & E. T. Higgins (Eds.), Handbook of Theories of Social Psychology, Volume 2 (pp. 399-417). London: SAGE Publications Ltd. doi:dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781446249222.n46