In many South African private higher education institutions, the design of physical and digital spaces is approached separately, resulting in a fragmented learning experience. Physical campuses are often thoughtfully curated to reflect institutional values, support pedagogical practices, and convey a strong sense of brand identity. In contrast, digital learning platforms, such as learning management systems (LMS) and virtual learning environments (VLEs), are typically treated as functional spaces, with limited attention given to their visual language, spatial coherence, or cultural meaning. This disconnect risks undermining institutional coherence and diminishing student engagement, belonging, and academic confidence.

This paper offers an autoethnographic and design-informed reflection on the misalignment between physical and digital spaces in a South African private higher education context. Drawing from first-hand experience as an educator and spatial designer, the study explores how students are invited into learning environments that convey conflicting cues, depending on whether they are in physical classrooms or engaging online. Rather than presenting generalisable findings, the paper interrogates the limitations of current spatial practices through reflective critique and considers how these inconsistencies may shape students’ perceptions, motivation, and learning behaviours.

Early insights suggest that the lack of coherence between physical and digital spaces contributes to a diluted sense of institutional identity and may unintentionally signal conflicting pedagogical priorities. By making these dissonances visible, the paper argues for a more intentional and design-literate approach to digital learning environments, one that mirrors the care and coherence often present in physical campus design. In doing so, the study contributes to emerging conversations around the role of spatial design in shaping holistic, engaging, and inclusive learning experiences in a digitally supported higher education landscape.

Keywords: Digital learning spaces, spatial design, institutional identity, private higher education, South Africa, learning environments, autoethnography.