Developing an Online Maker-Based Education for First Year Interior Designers

Case study: Aanya Chugh (University of Kentucky), Ingrid Schmidt (University of Kentucky) and Hannah Dewhirst (University of Kentucky)

Abstract

The 2020-21 school year created immense challenges for design education. With the raging Covid-19 pandemic disrupting higher education, instructors were tasked with rapidly adapting their studio based courses to online delivery formats. Although the apparatus of zoom and similar platforms helped eliminate distance, it did not address the needs of a hands-on, design education rooted in physical exploration. Attempting to address this divide, a team of faculty developed a maker-based online interior design curriculum for incoming first year students. Acknowledging the systemic barriers to entry within Interior Design, the approach utilized easily accessible materials and methods while capitalizing on a generational interest in photographic representation found on major social media platforms. Factoring in the rates of anxiety and depression among this cohort, the faculty positioned the first year as an optimistic exploration of interdisciplinary ideas, encouraging students to use their eyes and view the familiar in new ways. Working across a range of platforms and tools, students learned how to effectively navigate key challenges posed by this digital divide. This experience demonstrates that certain adoptions may continue to be beneficial in today’s physical studio environment, while addressing key issues of equity, inclusion and accessibility within the discipline.