Why Do Some Engineering Teams Grow Faster Than Others?
Two fields of science that seem unrelated until you actually work in both. People assume one is about machines and the other is about humans. But having worked in both, I’ve learned that their overlap is exactly what drives higher productivity, faster delivery, and stronger engineering teams.
• Computer Science → how computation and systems work: representing data, building scalable solutions, and creating reliable software.
• Instructional Design → how people learn: analysing needs, structuring information
𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘀𝗼 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗹?
1. 𝘚𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯 = 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯
Designing an API or service shapes how engineers build a mental model of it. The system becomes a learning journey in itself, guiding people through complexity and reducing cognitive load.
When the structure is clear, teams understand it faster, onboard quicker, and delivery speeds up.
2. 𝘊𝘰𝘥𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘤𝘳𝘰-𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴
With an instructional-design mindset, reviews become shared problem-solving, not gatekeeping. Structured, constructive feedback reduces repeated mistakes and builds shared understanding, meaning faster iteration and cleaner code.
3. 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘪𝘧 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮
Engineering time is often wasted navigating confusing tools instead of writing meaningful code. Human-centred design reduces friction, minimises errors, and frees engineers to focus on valuable work, boosting team productivity.
4. 𝘈𝘐 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯
AI onboarding assistants, adaptive documentation, and intelligent debugging only work when the information is presented the way people learn. This helps engineers upskill faster, rely less on senior teammates, and accelerate team growth and autonomy.
5. 𝘋𝘦𝘣𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴
Clear thinking beats guesswork: identify the root cause, test assumptions, remove noise, and explain the reasoning.
Engineers who can articulate their thought process solve problems faster and help others solve them too. This strengthens team velocity and shared knowledge.
Computer Science gives you the technical foundation.
Instructional Design gives you human clarity. Blend them, and productivity rises, delivery speeds up, and teams scale their skills.