Abstract
This paper explores how online design studios can become more inclusive by embracing their inherently ‘fuzzy’ nature as characterized by negotiated visibility, ambient awareness, and flexible participation. Through a series of co-design workshops with students, educators, and practitioners, we examined learner experiences and co-designed recommendations for future online studios. Findings reveal ten core studio values, including respect, care, agency, and joy, operationalized through tangible design features such as dynamic visibility, serendipitous interactions, and multi-dimensional content views. Mapping these recommendations to Universal Design for Learning (UDL) guidelines demonstrates strong alignment, suggesting that inclusive practices can emerge organically when learners actively shape studio environments. Rather than focusing solely on accessibility or reasonable adjustments, this study advocates for studios that foster belonging, creativity, and learner agency. The paper advocates for online studios as transformative spaces where diverse identities and learning journeys are supported through experiential, flexible, and inclusive design.
Keywords
Inclusive design, online design studio, universal design for learning, design education
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.2234
Citation
Lotz, N., Jones, D., and Deiml-Seibtb, T. (2026) The fuzzy edges of studio: Towards inclusive online education, in Simeone, L., Gray, C. M., Verhoeven, A., de Götzen, A., Bakırlıoğlu, Y., Zohar, H., Stead, M., and Buwert, P. (eds.), DRS2026: Edinburgh, 8–12 June, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.2234
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Included in
The fuzzy edges of studio: Towards inclusive online education
This paper explores how online design studios can become more inclusive by embracing their inherently ‘fuzzy’ nature as characterized by negotiated visibility, ambient awareness, and flexible participation. Through a series of co-design workshops with students, educators, and practitioners, we examined learner experiences and co-designed recommendations for future online studios. Findings reveal ten core studio values, including respect, care, agency, and joy, operationalized through tangible design features such as dynamic visibility, serendipitous interactions, and multi-dimensional content views. Mapping these recommendations to Universal Design for Learning (UDL) guidelines demonstrates strong alignment, suggesting that inclusive practices can emerge organically when learners actively shape studio environments. Rather than focusing solely on accessibility or reasonable adjustments, this study advocates for studios that foster belonging, creativity, and learner agency. The paper advocates for online studios as transformative spaces where diverse identities and learning journeys are supported through experiential, flexible, and inclusive design.