While designers throughout the globe are continuing to plaster stripes on everything from skateboards to apparel, the designers of yesteryear were required to use their creative expertise to protect their country and divert enemy powers. These World War I pics, which I found on AIAIAI’s blog, represent a simple and inexpensive solution that was deployed throughout the war to thwart German U-boat torpedos. Norman Wilkinson, a British artist and navel officer conceived the brilliant solution of covering navel ships with bright contrasting diagonal shapes, otherwise known as Dazzle Camouflage. This made gauging ship size and direction incredibly difficult. So brilliant, so practical, almost makes you wonder what today’s impossibly simple strategies are.