Assessment Design in Practice

Introduction

Assessment is key to designing an engaging and meaningful learning experience. I believe that assessment not only assesses learning, but also actively contributes to it. Over the course of the past few months, I have refined my ability to design intentional, meaningful, and manageable assessments. Through backward design (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005), I ensure that my final assessment is aligned with my learning objectives, by determining the goals for my learners and centering them throughout the design process. I also explore and consider the use of technology, response, and data and how it can both improve my assessment designs and my learners’ experiences.

Graphic Design Assessment: Brand Identity

My background as a graphic designer allows me to consider assessment within the context of creative learning experiences. My ultimate professional goal is to synthesize my graphic design skills with my learning experience design, including assessment, knowledge. To practice doing so, I have designed a variety of graphic design assessments, including a large-scale project centered around brand identity. This project assesses the learners’ ability to 1) design brand identities that convey a narrative, through research, moodboards, sketches, and development; 2) design and develop a cohesive brand identity, including primary logo, secondary logos, font pairings, color palette, brand assets, and application examples; and 3) present their brand identity with thoughtful compositions and layout design.

Context and Background

The brand identity project is intended to take place during an advanced higher education course on brand identity. The assessment will take place over the course of the whole semester, and prior to this course, it is assumed that the learners will have a basic understanding of Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, logo development and design, and layout design. I embrace cognitivism (Piaget, 1964) by building off of learners’ pre-existing knowledge to create new and interconnected learning experiences. Throughout the course, the learners will be doing brand identity activities alongside the overarching assessment.

Directions

For this assessment, I ask my learners to design and develop a cohesive brand identity for a local business using Adobe Illustrator and Adobe InDesign. It is important that the project centers a real and local business, so that my learners develop transferable skills they can use in their professional graphic design careers. This project simulates a real brand identity development from the beginning research and ideation phases to the execution and presentation phases. I provide the learners with a schedule that outlines project expectations, examples, class critiques, and one-on-one feedback conferences for clarity and transparency. Learners know what to expect from the overall project so they can plan accordingly and ask questions. I ask them to research three different local businesses and create moodboards for each. Research includes gathering existing brand material, learning about the business’s mission and values, and if possible, interviewing the business’s owners and employees. Then, the learner can start on creating multiple iterations of analog and digital logo sketches for each business.

Next, we will have a class critique where the learners will present their moodboards and logo sketches. Peer feedback will aid in narrowing down the selection to one business. From there, the learners will finalize their logos and create different variations, including color variations, composition variations, and logomarks or wordmarks. Then, I ask the learners to start creating a brand language by developing a color palette, font pairings, and brand assets. The brand language acts as a design palette to create meaningful applications. When the brand language has been developed, the learners will start designing examples of how it can be used through print, digital, and 3D applications. Finally, the learners will compile all of their work in a final portfolio in a format of their choice. The final product should include:

• Brief project overview

• Moodboard

• Primary logo and secondary variations

• Font pairings

• Color palette

• Brand assets

• Applications

• An overall understanding of layout and composition

Data Collection, Analysis, and Application

Throughout the project, I will collect different types of data using different techniques to best suit my learners. This will include: observation during class and group critiques, individual feedback conferences, and taking notes. From the brainstorming phase to the presentation phase, I am curious about the learners’ design concepts, direction, research, and brand identity execution. I will consider their current progress at every stage and whether or not it aligns with the outlined schedule. This will help me know if learners are on track to complete the project or if they are struggling to meet deadlines. If they have fallen behind, I will work with the learners to outline a realistic timeline to catch up and offer accommodations if necessary. I am also considering the feedback provided both during class critiques and one-on-one feedback conferences, whether or not the learner implemented the feedback, and if not, can they explain their reasoning using design rationale.

This assessment is an integral part of the learning experience, rather than just a final product. With this data, I will analyze how the learners’ abilities align when compared to the learning objectives. I will use the Brand Identity Rubric to provide feedback during the final one-on-one feedback conference.

By using this rubric, I am ensuring fairness, objectivity, and equity. I will ensure equity by looking at every learner as an individual and their experiences. I want to provide clear and actionable feedback so that learners may implement it in future projects, both within the context of education and their professional careers.

References

Piaget, J. (1964). Cognitive development in children: Development and learning. Journal of research in science teaching.

Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design, (2nd Ed.). Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.