Optimizing Design Thinking for Innovation and Risk-Taking: Empirical Lessons from the U.S. Sea Services

Abstract

Recent directives from the Department of Defense emphasize sweeping acquisition reform as critical to accelerating capability delivery for the modern warfighter. In an increasingly competitive and unpredictable geopolitical environment, the need for continuous innovation and effective risk-taking has never been more urgent, yet the challenge of operationalizing these imperatives within defense organizations remains largely unresolved. This paper investigates how design thinking is uniquely adapted and optimized within the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard (collectively, the U.S. Sea Services) to empower risk-taking and innovation. Drawing on 7 years (2019–2025) of data from workshops and surveys with practitioners, it identifies which commercial, military, and warfighter-centered design tools and methodologies are most effective and preferred by Sea Service practitioners. Collectively, these findings establish that effective innovation and risk-taking in the Sea Services depend on aligning design methods with each service’s culture, priorities, and operating context. They offer a practical basis for warfighters, acquisition professionals, and industry to tailor innovation efforts for greater effectiveness and sustainability.