When knowledge work starts to feel like assembly lines

Knowledge work promised more creativity and autonomy, yet today it can feel surprisingly repetitive.

Factory work once defined what it meant to have a job. People showed up, did their part on the line, and moved on. The system prized consistency and efficiency above all else.

Knowledge work was supposed to be different. It promised creativity, flexibility, and the chance to solve problems in new ways. But inside today’s large organizations, it’s easy to notice a different reality, one that sometimes feels uncomfortably close to those old assembly lines.

When process takes the driver’s seat

Tools like sprint boards, design reviews, and ticketing systems are meant to bring structure. At their best, they help teams stay coordinated and keep complex work moving in the right direction. I actually like having structure in my work as it keeps things from getting random and helps me stay focused instead of reacting to whatever pops up during the week.

But when those tools start driving the rhythm of the job, they can feel less like support systems and more like checkpoints we have to clear. The focus shifts from shaping ideas to simply moving tasks along. Creativity starts to feel procedural, and that constant push of “next, next, next” can make the whole process feel like a conveyor belt.

The risk to craft

Many of us got into the design industry to escape that kind of rhythm. I know I did.

I started out as a graphic designer, working on print projects back when the tech world still felt small and full of possibility. What drew me in was not speed or scale, but the creativity of the craft, the chance to make something beautiful and meaningful. I wanted to explore ideas, play with form, balance and typography, and bring a bit of myself into the work.

I never imagined a future of sprint ceremonies, task boards, daily standups and productivity metrics that make us feel more like machines than makers, or the constant pressure to move faster as if time itself were the measure of our worth.

A lot of us came into design because we care about thoughtfulness, about refining details and pushing boundaries. But when speed and volume become the main measures of success, craft is often the first thing lost. That is one of the reasons why so many digital products look and feel exactly the same today. The irony is that the more organizations chase efficiency, the less inspiring and ultimately less effective the work becomes.

A different kind of exhaustion

Factory jobs came with physical strain. Knowledge work comes primarily with mental strain. Long days of in-person and virtual meetings, constant notifications, interruptions and the steady expectation to deliver more and more take a toll on focus and energy. Burnout today looks different, it is less visible, but just as real. It shows up as fatigue, disconnection, apathy and the slow loss of curiosity that the work depends on. Many research studies are confirming that in the last few years.

Loyalty, then and now

There’s also an irony in the way stability has flipped. Factory work was repetitive and demanding, yet it often came with clearer labor protections and, in many cases, long-term employment. Unions, benefits, and the promise of steady work fostered a certain loyalty, even when the tasks were grinding and tiring.

By contrast, knowledge workers are asked to bring enthusiasm, creativity, commitment, judgment, and real problem-solving to the table, but with far less security. At-will employment, constant reorganizations, and frequent layoffs have made stability harder to trust. For years, the tradeoff was justified by high salaries in Big Tech. But for many workers, that’s no longer enough. Pay hasn’t kept up with the rising cost of living, and for many, money alone can’t replace the desire for balance, purpose, and sustainable work.

The result is thinner loyalty. Not because people care less, but because the foundations have substantially shifted. Without clear protections or stability, many workers protect themselves rather than commit fully. And in that churn, organizations quietly lose the continuity that creative and innovative work relies on.

What we can do about it

Too many designers who once felt alive at the drawing board now move from ticket to ticket, following the same pattern until the work feels mechanical. That rhythm dulls creativity and turns even the most passionate creators into cogs in a wheel.

We do not have to accept that.

When you start to feel that shift, speak up. Not as a complaint, but as a signal that you want space for exploration and thoughtful design. That often opens doors others assume are closed.

Some structure is healthy. It gives clarity on what the priorities are and helps teams mature. But when structure becomes a straightjacket, it stifles growth. Push for a balance where predictable workflows leave room for experimentation and innovation.

Leaders play a big role in that balance. Real creativity needs protected time for exploration. Treat it as a priority, not a luxury. Involve senior designers in that work instead of keeping them focused on feature-level tasks. Let them shape what comes next.

It’s difficult for organizations to earn loyalty when people feel replaceable (that’s a larger topic for another post, though). Fear kills innovation. People do their best work when they feel secure, supported, and trusted to take risks.

If we protect that space, design stops feeling like a factory and becomes a culture of creativity again.