Law 9: Win through design, never through debate.

48LawsOfDesignPowerProduct Design
Written By Joshua Nard

Law 9: Win through design, never through debate.

To quote the lyrics of the band Rush, "Show, don't tell." Arguments can often stem from verbal discussions where people don’t realize they are articulating different views on a problem or solution. Discussions can commonly create different contextual interpretations in contrast to visuals that hold greater reality in interpreted understanding. As design leaders, we can solve challenges through visual mediums for mutual understanding among a team. To avoid unnecessary spin in design presentations, craft real customer challenges with visuals and metrics and a solution flow with multiple considerations evaluated and eliminated, it is easier to align teams together on an outcome.

Expanding:

Allow design decisions from customer research and metrics to be your strongest advocates for resilience in a debate. Avoid becoming engaged in endless arguments that are biased and preference-led. Rather, showcase the tangible design benefits by highlighting how they solve specific goals to improve user experience goals while aligning with overarching business objectives and revenue. As design leaders, we must prioritize highlighting the value of our design decisions and deliverables with tangible outcomes over-relying on persuasive arguments. Our design leadership requires demonstrating the effectiveness of our design choices through results rather than relying on debate in boardrooms. Allow design to be the ultimate testament to your vision and strategy. Focusing on producing compelling design outcomes will ensure our design garners the support it deserves through a reality over contrasting hyperbole.

As design leaders, we must allow our designs to be the catalyst for collaboration and decision-making, as they vividly convey the value of our strategic vision. While discussions will create group insights, the true measure of our success lies in how the design solution is brought to life. We lead with design excellence, championing outcomes that resonate with stakeholders and users alike. By showcasing the effectiveness of our design choices through actual results, we shift the focus from debates to the tangible achievements of your team. By winning through articulated design, we become the inspiration for action and driving positive change.

This is law #9.

CONTEXT: During my summer reading, I gave myself a challenge while reading Robert Greene’s 48 Laws of Power. Since the author has suggested we take them as “defensive” and not too literally, could we take inspiration as laws for creatives to convey the value of design among stakeholders?  How would you reframe and expand on this law? Follow for more and comment below.

#productdesign #productleadership #designleadership #48lawsofdesignspower #RobertGreene #48lawsofpower

Robert Greene’s book:

https://www.amazon.com/48-Laws-Power-Robert-Greene-ebook/dp/B0024CEZR6/

 
Joshua Nard
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Law 6: Court the Essence of Design’s Value
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Law 8: Encourage Design Intrigue to enter your design space