Methodological Possibilities of Constructive Design Research on Donation

Three Design Practices for Observing Frayed Social Relations

Abstract

Donation in Japan has often been explained through tax systems, institutional design, or individual morality. This study instead approaches donation as a relational phenomenon and examines the methodological possibilities of Constructive Design Research. Three design practices—Future Gift, Meaning Logbook, and Tax Gacha—were analyzed as observational devices for revealing the conditions under which donation emerges. The findings suggest that donation arises not from a single motive but through the reconfiguration of relationships with future, meaning, and institutions.