Back to Design Basics: Reflections, Challenges and Essentials of a Designer’s Survival Kit during a Pandemic

Innovation is at its best when we are thrusted into an emergency situation that tests protocols and established norms. In this chapter, authors reflect on the journey of a team of instructional designers in an online learning design unit of a large mid-western university amidst COVID-19. With the influx of a multitude of courses to be transitioned to the online platform, authors describe challenges faced by their unit, coping mechanisms, and lessons learned during this phase. They describe inclusive design thinking and uninterrupted practice in return to robust instructional design models, such as Understanding by Design and Universal Design for Learning. The chapter concludes with examples of tried and tested internal tools and an adaptive workflow catering to a shortened development timeline. These practices and reflections serve as a guiding light as the global world navigates online learning to meet increasing demands of new-age digital accessibility and online course design considerations in higher education beyond COVID-19.