Clarifying the Relationship of Design Thinking to the Military Decision-Making Process

Abstract

The complexity of today’s operational environment where military organizations are conducting campaigns has grown exponentially. To address this expanding complexity, the Defense Department introduced ‘design’ into its problem-solving doctrine. This study seeks to understand the challenges with design by examining two areas: 1) the common challenges facing senior planners responsible for solving complex problems, and 2) the model or process that best enables design approaches to support military decision-making.