Realising a hybrid design studio in basic design

Despite the disappearance of the COVID-19 pandemic measures, hybrid learning is still a viable alternative to face-to-face education in many higher education institutions. Designing and carrying out hybrid design studio courses bring additional challenges for design instructors and students, such as feeling disengaged from the studio environment. Thus, it is essential to examine how such challenges could be addressed through course design. This paper presents a hybrid course in Basic Design with a focus on the course design, students’ reflections on the course gathered through surveys, and instructors’ observations. The findings indicate that the seamless integration of digital and physical worlds and the uncertainties stemming from the flexibility given to students are central concepts to deal with the scope challenges of hybrid design studios. The paper discusses the implications of these findings to guide instructors in planning and executing new hybrid design studio classes.