In DDD, strategic design refers to the process of analyzing and defining the overall design of a software system or application, including its architecture, subdomains, relationships, and context maps. Strategic design is concerned with identifying the critical subdomains and bounded contexts of a system, understanding their relationships, and determining how they should be organized and integrated to achieve the business goals and objectives of the system. The goal of strategic design is to create a cohesive and scalable software architecture that aligns with the business goals and provides a solid foundation for future development and growth.