COVID-19 has forced many universities to adopt online teaching. However, the design discipline attaches great importance to on-site operation and face-to-face design discussions, causing teachers to face major challenges in the implementation of distance teaching. The purpose of this study is to investigate the suitability and teaching strategies for distance teaching in designing courses ("design theory", "design practice", and "hybrid design"). The participants were 312 college students from 1st to 4th grade (above). The questionnaire is based on the "presence" that distance teaching focuses on, including: (1) "cognitive presence", (2) "social presence", and (3) "teaching presence". Each indicator corresponds to the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ). The results of the study found: (1) "Creating a communication environment" and "real interactive feeling" are the most important elements, (2) A "hybrid design" course is more suitable for distance teaching design than other design courses, (3) The element of "hard requirements" is particularly prominent in the "design practice" course, and (4) Distance teaching needs to strengthen "social presence". These results could provide a reference teaching planning template for the design department's distance courses, assist teachers in curriculum planning and adjustment so that the design department can improve the existing distance predicament.