“Today we are faced with the preeminent fact that, if civilization is to survive, we must cultivate the science of human relationships – the ability of all peoples, of all kinds, to live together and work together, in the same world, at peace.”

Franklin Roosevelt wrote these words as part of his 1945 Jefferson Day speech. Although he died before he could deliver his message, his words still challenge us today – do we really understand the science of relationships?

In the book Vital Friends, Tom Rath writes about the absolute necessity for friends both in our personal and professional lives. One of his key arguments is that due to the nature of our society, we are far too focused on ourselves. As a result, we diminish the impact of relationships in our lives because we are too busy looking at what someone is not providing us with – expecting them to be everything – rather than in order to have healthy, productive, and mutually beneficial relationships, we need to focus on what each friend does to contribute to our lives.

In the same way that we need to focus on building relationships for ourselves, we also need to realize the critical need for cultivating the science of human relationships in marketing and design.

In a previous post, I wrote about the Purpose of Community – where in the midst of constant change, people are searching for new opportunities to unite with others based on their newly found identities.

I think the key to creating effective community will be directly related to our ability to execute the science of human relationships.

How can we transform advertising from a series of static touchpoints with a brand to a dynamic network of thoughtfully designed interactions that are tailored to and seamlessly blend with people’s lifestyles – creating a strong brand connection – a lifelong marriage with the brand.