Enhancing Feedback and Reducing Stress in Design Studio

Critique is widely recognized as a central assessment and feedback method in design education. However, traditional critique methods, like design juries, are often associated with stress and pressure on students due to factors such as fear of embarrassment, public exposure, and hierarchical dynamics. In response, the literature highlights peer feedback as a more constructive and learning-oriented alternative, although it may also cause undesirable social effects, such as tension with peers and favoritism, which need to be addressed. Building on this idea, this exploratory study aims to investigate how migrating peer feedback to an online collaborative platform can enhance the critique experience by providing a digital interface for students to share their work and exchange written feedback anonymously. A pilot anonymous online peer critique session was implemented in the second-year interior design studio using the collaborative platform Padlet. Data on students’ evaluations of their experience were collected through post-activity surveys and thematically analyzed. The outcomes of the session were also evaluated along with the tutor’s observational notes. Findings indicate that students valued the online collaborative format for its efficiency, ease of use, and supportiveness in gathering more diverse opinions. Additionally, anonymity was found to contribute to a more open, constructive, and less stressful critique experience. The article argues that integrating anonymous online peer feedback into the design studio as a formative feedback method can support reflective, engaging, and student-centered learning environments and offer a less stressful alternative to conventional critique practices.