I am no Dr. Phil but I'll try to explain... To avoid typing design/relations and products/people to explain the duality of the principles I have coined a couple of terms:
design/relations = desations
products/people = proeople
Good desations are innovative
Roses and chocolates??? Lame. Been there, done that... Let's get creative people! New or spontaneous momentous in the relationship are the most enjoyable and memorable. Is it a surprise that good product design is most memorable when it has never been seen before?
Good desations makes a proeople useful
No one likes someone that sits on the couch all day or refuses to help out when you ask. The same goes for products. Care and trust is shown when the proeople assist you or goes out of it's way to make you happy or accomplish a task. However, there is no denying the one night stand type proeoples that some of us may been involved in... After the novelty wears off whats left?? A dark black hole in our soul or/and wallet and we want more.. Hince the long lasting desation principle.
Good design is aesthetic
.....No explanation needed.
Good desations make a proeople understandable
This can be applied in many situations. Have you known a person that says the opposite of what they mean in hopes that you can figure them out? Ever gotten into a huge argument about leaving the toilet seat up only to find it's been about a larger issue or as Dane Cook would say "nothing fights"? Or taken literally, a person that mumbles, confidence much?! All of these can be frustrating. When the intention of proeoples are clearly communicated the experience is enhanced and the relationship grows.
Good desations are unobtrusive.
First let's take a look at what we might consider obtrusive.
Is this obtrusive?
Or this?
Generally it can become quite irritating when proeople try to control the situation, actions or force advice. That is not to say that certain situations i.e medical, safety equipment, time with the in-laws should not be controlled or planned for... But when you are trying to write a document or find an address when you clearly know where you are going, you don't need a backstreet driver barking orders at you... Or a software package screaming at you for attention by asking if you need help writing a document.
Good desations are honest
As simple as this sounds it can challenging but very important. When searching for a proeople you genrally start with looks. Sure, a bright shiny new car or profile picture at a myspace angle with duck face and make up might look intriguing but under it all could lie a lemon that falls apart in 2 years (emotional or mechanically). As an industrial designer it is import for the form to the clearly illustrate the function of the product and not let design make into something more than it actually is. And once you have found that proeople that isn't a walking lie, you have to live with it. This is why honest interaction(design) is so important. If you can't have clear and concise interactions with the proeople you will undoubtedly move onto other proeople. Did that similarity scare you just a little??? Thought so.
Good desations are long lasting
This should be the goal of all desations. A long lasting desations is worth it's weight in gold and will pay more itself 10 times over. I would trade hundreds of FB friends for a hand-full of close friends I can count on the same as I would trade 10 drills for one drill lasts a lifetime.
Good desations are thorough down to the last detail
I'll admit this similarity is a stretch but here it is. In desations understanding all of the little details of a proeople is important to a successful end result. For example, what's their favorite color or what color should this icon be for a harmonious design.
Good desations are environmentally friendly
Despite our hopes and wishes desations live in an ecosystem whether that be an emotional or a physical world. This world is delicate balance of resources some of which cannot be replenished. It is critical that desation(s) does not hurt the world in which it resides. Just as sustainability and closed loop systems of the design world are complex and multi layered so too is the world of human relationships... Crazy right? It kind blew my mind too. Does your product have to be made from thermo-set plastic (non recyclable)? Does your relationship have to be constructed out of lies?? I didn't think so. Understand the ecosystem your desations lives in and all the aspects which contribute to an environmentally friendly outcome.
Good desations are as little desations as possible
This principle works well on two levels, here's the first:
The "I don't care attitude" or "hard to get" which coincidentally, gets results. On some level we all want what we can't have and aim for something that is not striving for our attention, it's just human nature. Proeople that exude this general do not try to be something they are not... They are clear and original, to sum up in a word, simple... Here's two example of a couple of proeoples that I admire.
Product - Just looking at this classic product which could be considered simple makes you want it, why? Because you can understand it and nothing interferes with that understanding like lasers, cliche aesthetic and vibrant colors.
Person - Say what you will about this man, he had values! (And you may not know this but women loved him for it... Or not, I have no idea.).
The other level of this principle is based more on the relationship between the proeoples. Generally, the best desations are our best friends. We can lay down our guard and just be ourselves around them in all situations. You wouldn't walk around the house with this or that would you? Maybe you would, but the point is that level of simplicity allows for a natural level of interaction.
*I have the utmost respect for the original principles. This post is a tribute to point out their adaptability, originality and the influence they have had on my life outside of design. The examples and references are in no way a reflection of my personal experiences... Sort of*