The Art of Automation in Modern Engineering
Designing Systems That Think Without Forgetting to Feel
By Nigel Dsouza
We used to automate because we were lazy.
Now we automate because we must.
In a world of hyperscale systems, incident fatigue, and the unrelenting pressure of uptime, automation is no longer a luxury — it’s the nervous system of modern engineering.
But here’s the catch:
Most automation isn’t beautiful.
It’s brittle. It’s soulless. It gets the job done, but no one knows how. Or why. Or what to do when it breaks.
Which begs the question:
What if automation could be art?
🔧 Beyond Scripts and Cron Jobs
Real automation isn’t about writing bash scripts or wiring up webhooks.
It’s about designing intent.
It’s about:
- Embedding wisdom into pipelines
- Anticipating failure
- Choreographing recovery
- Orchestrating workflows that feel alive
At Fidelity, I’ve built automation frameworks that touch everything from CI/CD to disaster recovery — and I’ve learned this:
Bad automation saves time.
Good automation saves teams.
🎶 When Systems Become Symphony
Think of your infrastructure like an orchestra:
- 🎵 Jenkins is your conductor
- 🎻 Terraform is the string section — precise, declarative
- 🥁 Lambda functions are percussion — fast, ephemeral, rhythmic
- 🎺 Alerts and monitors are the brass — loud, essential, sometimes alarming
You don’t just want them to play.
You want them to play well together.
That’s the art.
⚠️ The Cost of Frictionless Systems
The danger with perfect automation is that it can remove too much friction.
- No one reads the logs.
- No one asks questions.
- No one remembers how things work — until they don’t.
Which is why the best automation doesn’t just remove humans.
It supports them. It teaches. It leaves trails.
It respects context.
✨ Designing for Delight, Not Just Delivery
Your pipeline can be a joy to use.
Your self-healing scripts can come with ASCII art.
Your alerts can be tuned like instruments — not alarms.
Because automation isn’t just execution — it’s experience.
And if we want engineers to trust the system, to enjoy using it, to build upon it, then we have to make it more than functional.
We have to make it feelable.
🎨 Conclusion: Automate Like an Artist
The next wave of engineering leaders won’t be those who can write the fastest script — but those who can build systems that run themselves without losing their soul.
So the next time you write a pipeline, ask:
- Does this automate a task, or teach a mindset?
- Will the next person understand it, or fear it?
- Did I just save time — or create trust?
Because automation isn’t just a tool.
It’s a medium.
And some of us were born to make it art.
👤 About the Author
Nigel Dsouza is a Principal Software Engineer and Technical Lead at Fidelity Investments,
where he designs automated cloud systems that are as resilient as they are human.
He believes every Jenkinsfile is a brushstroke —
and every pipeline, a performance.
Top comments (36)
man i love this take - building stuff that people actually enjoy using instead of just cranking out scripts sounds way more interesting tbh. you ever feel like there’s a line between making things easier for people and making them forget everything?
In an age of AI that’s going to touch every user, and engineers are struggling with issues around human psychology and even the definition of consciousness, Nigel takes a wonderful step forward in this beautifully written article by evoking the concept of designing and architecting systems through the lens of human emotion and sensibility - widening the scope for how designers can think and imagine their work. Refreshing read!!
This was a beautifully composed piece — poetic, insightful, and deeply relevant. I especially loved the metaphor of infrastructure as a symphony; it captures the harmony (and chaos) of modern engineering perfectly. The shift from brittle automation to meaningful, resilient design really resonated. Thank you for reminding us that automation isn’t just about efficiency — it’s about empathy, intention, and craftsmanship. Subscribed for more! 👏
Totally agree that too much automation can hurt. Sometimes introducing bit of friction can differentiate great designs from good ones. Like how android started requiring you to enter password after 72hr so that you don't forget it.
Nigel paints an insightful view of automation, emphasizes that the true success of automation lies in its ability to enhance the human experience. The concept of making automation "feelable" is particularly thought-provoking, suggesting designers can be more intuitive, supportive, and transparent to the user.
Wonderful short read. We take Automation for granted and expect results without much sweat. But Nigel has bought forward a different perspective on Automation in this modern world. Love the phrase ‘Designing for Delight, Not Just Delivery’. Agree with Nigel when he says that we have to make Automation more of an experience and feelable. It’s a medium and Engineers are born to make it an art. Well said.
Nice article Nigel. Thanks for sharing.
Really liked the suggestion about looking at automation as an art. The tagline" Bad automation saves time. Good automation saves teams." is really powerful. Your thoughts will help other automation engineers think about automation in the right way
Nigel puts forward a unique perspective comparing software automation to creating symphony or art. This demonstrates not only his love for the art of software development, but also that he is good at it
Really enjoyed this, Nigel. You’ve done a great job breaking down how automation isn’t just about saving time — it’s about building smarter, more reliable systems that actually help teams thrive. The part about “good automation saving teams” really stood out to me. It’s easy to forget how much thought goes into doing it well. Thanks for the thoughtful write-up — bookmarking this one.
Interesting and well written.