85% rule and design

#28 - May.2022

Recently I revisited a great episode from "The Tim Ferris Show" with Hugh Jackman and I came across the 85%-rule concept.

In the episode, they were highlighting how top-performance runners seek relaxation prior to a race. They don't target a 100% effort. Instead, they try to keep consistency, calm down, and target 85% effort.

It might seem counterintuitive, but in fact targeting, 85% effort result in a better performance. Feeling the pressure of delivering 100% adds an unnecessary burden and, in most cases, has the opposite effect.

I believe this same principle applies not only to Sports but to any professional career. When designing a new product, when trying to solve a particular need/opportunity, when preparing a presentation, or when writing a post.

In design, for instance, usually you deal with a lot of ambiguity and uncertainty. Sometimes we force ourselves to identify all possible causes, and all pain points, map all potential customers and brainstorm all possible solutions.

While all this is important, having this pressure (targeting 100%) generally takes us out of track and prevents us from seeing the nuances of the key areas, or even more, not having the big picture in perspective.

Having the right balance between focus and relaxation is the key. Slow down. At least in design, you should acknowledge that this is an iterative work, so you can always (and should) revisit your assumptions & insights.

In the long-run, consistency is much more important than intensity.