question: Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the attitudes of students in higher educational institutions in Jordan towards the use of online design studios during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown and discusses how their use could enhance the learning process Design/methodology/approach: 615 undergraduate students studying architecture in Jordanian universities were recruited to explore the factors that constituted and affected their perceptions of online design studios Findings: The findings of this study highlight that many of the participants felt uncertain about aspects of their online learning experience and wanted more guidance and support Reasons of this disengagement include technical factors, such as poor network quality and lack of familiarity with the new applications Students and tutors' personal situations when working and studying from home are also relevant due to the tutors' lack of expertise in online teaching, and the limitations of peer interaction Together, these factors can make the experience of the online design studio more challenging Research limitations/implications: The sample was nationally representative of architecture students from various institutions However, the study was limited to an exploration of students' opinions, and it did not include the points of view of tutors and decision-makers Originality/value: This research was conceived during the period of the COVID-19 lockdown, whilst both tutors and students were experiencing dramatic changes in their modes of teaching and learning due to the sudden move from on-campus design studios to a virtual alternative, with only the bare minimum of resources and relevant experience Learners' perspectives can enhance understanding of online design studios to assess their quality and effectiveness © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited