‘The Art of War’ for Designers

Ten key tips from the classic treatise.

In 500 BCE, legendary general Sun Tzu wrote a short treatise on military strategy titled ‘The Art Of War’. And surprisingly, many of its lessons are used today in domains like marketing, politics and management.

But every designer knows that our industry can be a battleground too. Since I moved to China for a Product Design job, my days are surely not without fighting. So upon surviving my 2nd year here, I took it to strengthen my position and read The Art of War. What is in it for us?

First things first: Who is the Enemy?

Clients are a very popular candidate for being the enemy in the design=war analogy. But there are different ways to interpret the battle. I found it most relatable with ‘the design challenge’ as enemy. That creates the following map of interpretation:

the army = the design team
the general = the project lead
the sovereign = the client
the enemy = the design challenge
victory = a great project result
defeat = NO OPTION! — kidding.. (or.. not actually kidding).

With that map in in the back of your head, here are ten of the takeaways:

1. Pick Your Battles

The best approach to war is to avoid excessive fighting and achieve victories largely by stratagem. If you are not absolutely sure that you can achieve a victory, you better not start the fight. Build the right plan to tackle the problem first, try to find the right allies, or avoid it altogether if you can’t secure your victory up front.

“The victorious general only seeks battle after the victory has been won, whereas they who are destined to defeat first fights and afterwards look for victory.” (Ch. 4.15)

2. Get United

Strong armies share a common vision and goal. In battle they might use flags and drums to unite people and get them in the same state of mind. You might want to think of something else in the studio.. although I strongly encourage studio flags.

“They will win who’s army is animated by the same spirit throughout all it’s ranks.” (Ch. 3.17)

3. Keep the Middle Gear

In war, you shouldn’t move too fast; but you certainly shouldn’t move too slow either. Endless battle does not only drain your energy and resources, it also gives clients the opportunity to think too long about conquered territories of the past.

“There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare.” (Ch. 2.6)

4. If You Go, Go All-In

Sun Tzu admits that on grounds that you are familiar with, you can take short cuts. But if find yourself on uncovered grounds, do not think you can get away with that so easily. In such territory it is important to go deep and “ensure a continuous stream of supplies”, i.e. post-its, coffee and inspiration.

“When invading hostile territory, the general principle is, that going deeply brings cohesion; going but a short way means dispersion.” (Ch. 11.42)

5. Look After the Army

During war, make sure that the Army stays well rested, well fed, well motivated and ready to perform. That’s not just a task of the general, please also tell it to my sovereign. Please.

“ If you make your army march day and night, covering double the distance at a stretch, they will surely be defeated.” (Ch. 7.7)

6. Keep Order in Chaos

Here Sun Tzu hits rights in the designers heart. Chaos is a natural element of battles. But, as with good projects, there is no true chaos, only Apparent Disorder. The large outline of what you’re doing should remain very clear.

“ Amid the tumult of battle, there may be seeming disorder and yet there is no real disorder at all. Despite confusion and chaos, your army will be proof against defeat.” (Ch. 5.16)

7. Drop the Attitude

As with soldiers and generals, a designer or lead may be affected by flaws of character. Steer away from the “five dangerous faults” to stay on the road to Victory. In design they might not get us killed, but they will make us look stupid.

“There are five dangerous flaws which may affect a warrior: Recklessness, Cowardice, a Hasty Temper, Arrogance and Worry. When an army is overthrown and its leader slain, the cause will surely be found among these faults.” (Ch. 8.12)

8. Get Inside Information

Inside information is key to help battles move forward and the fastest way to victory. Instead of spies, try using experts, users, customers and suppliers in different project stages to seize the same advantage and plan your moves.

“Spies are a most important element in war, because on them depends an army’s ability to move.” (Ch. 13.27)

Actual spying is of course a no-go in design of course… just saying..

9. Embrace Fatality

If, despite all the stratagem, you find yourself in a critical situation (i.e. deadline), you may only find your way out by realizing the full hopelessness of what you’re doing. In the face of deadlines, there is nothing we may not solve. Don’t give up and fight with all you’ve got.

“In the face of death, there is nothing that people may not achieve. When in desperate straits they lose the sense of fear. If there is no place of refuge, they will stand firm. If there is no help for it, they will fight hard. (Ch. 11.23)

10. Ignore The Sovereign

Yes, there you have it. Sun Tzu said it. Armies and design studios both deal with someone who is paying the money. But that doesn’t mean that the armies should listen. A good soldier or general is best judge themselves.

“If fighting is sure to result in Victory, then you must fight, even if the ruler forbid it. If fighting will not result in Victory, then you must not fight even at the ruler’s bidding.” (Ch. 10.23)

That’s a start of how to master The Art of War for Designers. It may be 2500 year old book, but it is a refreshingly practical read on how to pick the right battles, set the stage and go for it. I skipped dozens of good quotes and sections to make this list both digestible and generally applicable. I’d recommend to read the booklet for a more complete take on the art.

Bonus Tip: the Surprise Tactic

There are definitely some odd, unexpected quotes in The Art of War that make you think for a moment and wonder “(How) can I use this?”. Let me leave you with a bonus tip that one day you might find useful:

“If we do not wish to fight, we can prevent the enemy from engaging us. All we need do is to throw something odd and unaccountable in their way. By discovering the enemy’s dispositions and remaining invisible ourselves, we can keep our forces concentrated, while the enemy gets divided.” (Ch. 6.11–12)

How is that for a creative tactic?