I find that many instructional designers fixate on minor details that waste time and cause frustration. Is this issue unique to my experience or common in other settings?
Based on my experience, the issue isn’t inherent to instructional design itself, but rather to the approach taken by some teams. I’ve seen projects where too much emphasis on non-critical details can detract from the overall quality and timeliness of the work. When designers focus excessively on minutiae, it can slow progress and frustrate both educators and learners. In contrast, teams with a balanced approach tend to optimize their attention to detail while keeping broader objectives in view. Considering organizational structure and communication guidelines often clarifies these issues and leads to better outcomes.