Design Thinking

"The Athena Project is an initiative, founded in the [US Navy's] Surface Community, focused on harnessing deckplate innovations to create a cadre of forward-thinking, creatively confident Sailors for the Fleet of tomorrow. The Athena Project creates a platform for Sailors to pitch innovative ideas to improve their command or the Navy in an open forum to fellow Sailors as well as leaders of industry, academia and government."

CRIC is a group of enlisted and junior officer "disruptive thinkers" who are identifying and developing innovative solutions to many of the Navy's most pressing challenges. MISSION: To empower and enable emerging Naval leaders to rapidly create, develop and implement disruptive solutions that tackle warfighter needs while advocating for, and inspiring, deckplate innovation throughout the Fleet.

Defense Entrepreneurs Forum brings emerging military leaders together through the internet and in a real world setting to hear cutting-edge ideas and engage in cross-cultural networking opportunities. In partnership with leading universities, successful veterans and venture capitalists organizations, these innovative military thinkers are exposed to knowledgeable business leaders, instructors alongside successful innovators of all ranks. Unlike most National Security symposiums, the speakers and leaders featured at DEF are young, entrepreneurial and successful active duty personnel. Check out the DEF 2014 conference (http://defenseentrepreneurs.org/def2014/)

The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) strengthens national security by accelerating the adoption of commercial technology throughout the military and bolstering our allied and national security innovation bases. DIU partners with organizations across the Department of Defense (DoD)to rapidly prototype and field dual-use capabilities that solve operational challenges at speed and scale. With offices in Silicon Valley, Boston, Austin, Chicago and inside the Pentagon, DIU is the Department’s gateway to leading technology companies across the country.

"Innovation combines the ideas, insights and resources of our Sailors, Marines and Civilians in new ways to benefit the Naval Service." Ray Mabus, U.S. Secretary of the Navy

NPS faculty, students, and staff share the goal of making NPS "the center" for creative and human-centered problem solving for the military. Design thinking is a methodology that empowers us to collaborate across disciplines to tackle the military’s greatest challenges.

Partnership Intermediary Agreement between Doolittle Institute and the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM)

"The first TANG Design Event produced multiple ideas that have transitioned to the submarine force. TANG has grown rapidly in the past six years to serve areas beyond the Submarine Fleet. Recent expansion has included Maintenance and Material Management (3M) for the Surface Navy, Integrated Air and Missile Defense Mission Planning, Food Service, Aviation Mission Support, and Sailor Toughness. TANG has been characterized by the tremendous energy, creativity, and innovation that brings warfighters together to rapidly create new concepts to design the future of the Fleet."

The d.school is a hub for innovators at Stanford and offers many resources, tours and tips.

Cutting edge research and design thinkers at a major US university. Check out some of their projects.

The leading global design firm using human-centered, design-based approaches to problem solving for public and commercial clients. Check out their HCD Toolkit.

Global consultancy with focus on learning and educational settings. Good tools and resources.