Design Thinking in a Systems Engineering World, within a Governmental Context

Systems engineering;systems thinking;design thinking;government;DoD;concept development

Systems engineering evolution has been an incredible asset to innovation. This is particularly true in industries that drive its academic advancement and maturity. In these industries, systems engineering is a proven approach to developing a program from conception through retirement. Design thinking is a design methodology and separate from systems engineering/ thinking; it is defined by its intensely human-centered approach. This report hypothesizes that design thinking processes used during the concept development phase of the systems engineering process enables a more comprehensive view of key challenges due to the inclusion of more contextual stakeholder information, particularly in a government context. A mixed methods approach using 35 surveys and 11 interviews of subject matter experts, project managers, and innovation challenge participants was used to test the hypothesis. Interviewees disagreed on the impact that design thinking processes ultimately have on stakeholder information. There was a common consensus that the process yields key beneficiaries. The quantitative data showed a shift in familiarity with design thinking principles during the innovation challenge as a result of design thinking teaching modules. The increase in familiarity correlated with an increased likelihood to use various design thinking processes during concept development, and stronger agreement that design thinking affected understanding the stakeholders, key beneficiaries, and comprehension of the challenge space. Together, the qualitative and quantitative data agreement on the addition of key beneficiaries is evidence in support of design thinking processes affecting the context of stakeholder information. Embracing more contextual stakeholder information results in designers seeking a more comprehensive view of the challenge space. Additionally, analogous research can have a significant effect on comprehension of the challenge space but there is a higher barrier to entry for new practitioners.