Why Instructional Design Needs to Get Uncommon
When I first started formally studying instructional design, I heard a lot about models: ADDIE, Bloom’s Taxonomy, Gagné’s Nine Events. Important, sure — but after a while, everything started to feel… identical. I raced through my master’s degree; I started my doctorate; I followed blogs and podcasts, and I heard and read the same things again and again.
Courses blended together. Modules clicked forward on autopilot. Learners tuned out. I tuned out.
It hit me: We aren’t short on frameworks. We aren’t short on imagination. We are short on understanding the nuances of our learners.
That realization led to the creation of this blog: Uncommon Instructional Design.
Here, we’re going to dig into the underexplored, the unconventional, the questions that don’t show up in standard design courses. Not because the classics aren’t valuable — they absolutely are — but because the future of learning demands more.
It demands that we become designers who aren’t just filling templates but creating transformative experiences.
What Do I Mean by “Uncommon”?
When I say “uncommon,” I don’t just mean quirky. I mean:
- Designing for the learners everyone forgets — neurodivergent learners, learners with invisible disabilities, learners outside the “average” profile.
- Borrowing insights from outside the field — game design, architecture, storytelling, psychology, cultural studies.
- Making ethical design choices — avoiding manipulative engagement tactics (dark patterns) and respecting learner agency.
- Centering human needs over KPIs — remembering that learning is personal, messy, and nonlinear.
Uncommon instructional design pushes beyond what’s efficient to what’s effective, ethical, and engaging.
It’s not about being contrarian for the sake of it. It’s about asking:
“Is there a better way to help someone learn? Even if it doesn’t fit neatly into a five-step process?”
Why Now?
Instructional design is more visible than ever — especially with the explosion of online learning, microcredentials, and AI tools.
But with visibility comes the risk of homogenization. Courses start looking the same. Learning becomes another thing to check off rather than engage with.
If we want learning to matter — to truly stick, to transform — we have to design for reality, not idealized flowcharts.
Reality means:
- Learners have emotional landscapes.
- Learners get bored, frustrated, distracted.
- Learners bring cultural, sensory, and cognitive differences to the table.
Uncommon instructional design starts by respecting that complexity, not flattening it.
What You Can Expect Here
This blog will explore topics like:
- How sensory design (beyond visuals) can enhance learning.
- Designing for invisible disabilities, like vestibular disorders or executive dysfunction.
- Ethical questions around gamification and learner nudges.
- Borrowing design patterns from unexpected places (escape rooms, video games, urban planning!).
- Building learning spaces that support emotional resilience, not just cognitive achievement.
And we’ll always anchor it back to practical strategies — ideas you can apply right away, not just admire from afar.
Each post will aim to be two things: ✅ Thought-provoking
✅ Immediately useful
Because thinking differently is important, but changing what we build is where the real impact happens.
A Note if You’re New to Instructional Design
You don’t have to be a senior designer or PhD researcher to belong here.
Whether you’re new to instructional design, transitioning from teaching, working in corporate L&D, or building your first eLearning module. This space is for anyone who believes that learning deserves better than boring courses and rigid systems.
We’re in this to make learning not just accessible but transformative.
You’re already doing uncommon work by even asking, “How could we do this differently?”
Let’s Build Something Better Together
Thank you for being here, even if you arrived a little before the welcome mat was officially rolled out.
If you’re ready to explore instructional design that dares to be uncommon — that puts learners’ humanity first — then you’re in the right place.
🔔 Next steps:
- Subscribe to get new posts (and some occasional behind-the-scenes resources).
- Comment below:
What’s something in instructional design you think deserves to be challenged or reimagined?
I can’t wait to hear your ideas. Welcome to Uncommon Instructional Design.