Graphic Design and Digital Publishing II

Technology Setup (10 points, Process Work)

This assignment measures Module Objective 0.1, which supports Course Competency 3.

You need a Mac or Windows computer. A Chromebook, phone or tablet will not work, because the course uses Adobe apps. If you need a computer, GCC lends Macs and PCs: request one with a Student Technology Request.

Set up these core accounts in Week 1. Apps used only in this course are set up in the module where you first use them.

Submit one Google Doc, Google Slides page or Miro board with:

1. Proof that each core account works (screenshots, or a short written note for screen-reader users).
2. A link to a 10-second test recording with your voice and something from your work, shared unlisted.
3. Your Discord introduction (your name and how to say it, your program, one thing you want to learn, and two examples of past work with alt text or a description) and three comments on classmates’ introductions.

Grading (10 points): core accounts 4; test recording 3; Discord introduction 2; three comments 1.

AI: none; log “No AI used.”

Syllabus and Course Overview Quiz (5 points, Exercises)

Every question is answered in the syllabus. Questions include:

1. When is work due, and what happens if it is late? (Noon, Arizona time, on Thursdays and Sundays. Work up to 24 hours late loses 10%; after that it is not accepted.)
2. Where do private questions, course questions and critique go? (Private questions go to your instructor in the Canvas Inbox. Course questions and critique go in the course channel on the Digital Media Discord, or in the matching Canvas discussion if you cannot use Discord.)
3. When is using AI in this course not cheating? (When the use is assigned, recorded in your AI-use log, and you are graded on your own thinking and work.)
4. Which account must you use for Gemini, and why? (Your Maricopa account. Google states that what you enter there is not reviewed by people or used to train AI models.)

5. What does AI do in this course, and what does it never do? (Research, writing, feedback and planning; it never designs.)
6. What are the three parts of a critique comment? (A strength, an issue with its location, and a suggestion tied to a design principle.)

Private question (0 points): Will you be under 18 at any point this semester? (Yes or No) This is not scored. It only decides which tool options you get, and only your instructor sees your answer.

AI Primer (10 points, Process Work)

What this is. Your first time using Gemini in this course, and it takes about an hour. No experience with AI is needed. Complete Technology Setup first.

What Gemini is. Gemini is an AI chat tool from Google. You type a request, called a prompt, and it writes an answer. It learned from an enormous amount of text written by people, so it can sound knowledgeable about almost anything. It does not know you, and it has never been where you have been.

Why this assignment. Some assignments in this course use Gemini for research and feedback. Before you use it for that, you will see for yourself what it does well, where it falls short, and what you bring that it cannot.

Your work stays yours. You use Gemini through your Maricopa account, so what you enter is not reviewed by people and is not used to train AI models. See AI in This Course for Google’s exact wording.

This assignment measures Module Objective 0.2, which supports Course Competency 3.

Part 1: Sign in

1. Open Chrome and go to gemini.google.com.
2. If you see Sign in in the top right corner, click it. Sign in with your Maricopa account: your MEID followed by @maricopa.edu, then your MEID password on the Maricopa sign-in page.
3. Check the top right corner. It should show your Maricopa account. If it shows a personal Gmail account, click the picture and switch to your Maricopa account.

If Gemini does not open or says it is not available for your account (this can happen for students under 18), message your instructor in Canvas Inbox. You will receive an equal option with the same grade.

Part 2: Ask the question

4. Click the box at the bottom that says Ask Gemini.
5. Type Do I need to learn AI to get a good job in the digital media industry? and press Enter.
6. Copy your prompt and Gemini’s answer into a Google Doc.

Part 3: Read it like a critic

7. In your Doc, mark:
   • one point you agree with;
   • one point that sounds generic, overstated or like a sales pitch;
   • one question you would rather ask a working professional in the field.
8. Gemini is made by Google, a company that sells AI. Write one sentence on how that might shape its answer.

Part 4: Give it better directions

A stronger prompt tells Gemini four things: a role (who it should act as), a task (what to do), context (who it is for and why) and a format (how the answer should look). Example: You are a hiring manager at a small design studio in Phoenix. List the skills you look for in a new junior designer, and say honestly where AI skills rank among them. I am a first-year community college student. Use a short ranked list.

9. Rewrite your prompt using all four parts, and add one detail about yourself: the kind of work you want to do. Press Enter.
10. Copy the new prompt and answer into your Doc. Write one sentence on how the answer changed.

Part 5: Reflect

11. In four to six sentences: Did either answer change how you think about AI and your career? Where might a tool like this help you in your own work, and where would you not want to use it?

Part 6: Start your AI-use log

12. At the bottom of your Doc, add a table with three columns: Tool, What I asked, and What I kept, changed or rejected. Add one row for this assignment. Every assignment in this course has a row like this, so your instructor can see how you used AI and what was your own.

Submit the link to your Google Doc.

Grading (10 points): critic’s mark-up 3; revised prompt with your own detail 3; reflection 2; AI-use log row 2.

Choose your client at the start of this module. Your brand projects use the same client: the brief leads to the logo, the logo grows into the identity system, the system goes into the guidelines book, the book drives your brand generator, and the work becomes your portfolio case study.

• Client packet (most students). Choose one of three client packets: Client Packet A: Saguaro Ridge Coffee Roasters, Client Packet B: Desert Dash Trail Running Club or Client Packet C: Westside Community Health Clinic. Each packet describes the business, its audience, goals, constraints (limits), deliverables (the pieces you hand over) and brand notes. All three businesses are fictitious. The instructor plays the client in Weeks 3, 7 and 13.
• Real client (optional, limited spots). The instructor arranges a campus department, student club, local nonprofit or small business. Ask through Canvas Inbox by Monday at noon of Week 2. The client agrees to three things: a kickoff talk in Week 2, choosing a logo direction by Thursday of Week 4, and one review of Project 1. Copy the instructor on every client email. Do not promise dates, printing or file rights beyond the course without the instructor’s approval.
• If a real client has not replied by the Creative Brief hard close, you switch to a client packet. There is no grade penalty.

Fictitious client. This business was created for the course. For the Client Research Notebook, research real competitors in the same field.

Client	Saguaro Ridge Coffee Roasters. Owner: Dana Ruiz.
Business	A small-batch coffee roaster in Glendale, Arizona, founded six years ago. Sells whole-bean coffee online and at two farmers markets, and supplies four local cafés. Plans to open a walk-up tasting bar next year.
Audience	Primary: local coffee drinkers aged 25 to 45 who buy specialty coffee and care where it comes from. Secondary: café owners who buy wholesale.
Goals	Look like a serious specialty roaster rather than a hobby; build recognition before the tasting bar opens; work as well on a bag label as on a phone screen.
Constraints	Two-color printing on kraft paper bags to keep cost down; small labels (2 by 3 inches); no images of cacti or sunsets, which every local competitor uses.
Drone imagery location	The future walk-up tasting bar. The instructor names an open area on campus as the stand-in for supervised drone flights.
Deliverables	Logo and lockups, color palette and type, bag label system for six coffees, business card, and a brand guidelines book for the staff and the label printer.
Brand notes	Warm, knowledgeable, unpretentious. The owner likes hand-drawn letterforms and the color of roasted beans. The current logo is a clip-art coffee cup.

Email from the Client

Hi, thanks for taking us on. We have outgrown the logo my cousin made in an afternoon. People like our coffee, but at the market they walk past the table. I want a brand that says we know what we are doing without looking like a chain. We print our own labels on a two-color printer, so please keep that in mind. Can you send me a few questions before we start? Thanks, Dana

Fictitious client. This business was created for the course. For the Client Research Notebook, research real competitors in the same field.

Client	Desert Dash Trail Running Club. Club president: Marcus Lee.
Business	A volunteer-run nonprofit trail running club in the West Valley with about 300 members. Hosts free weekly group runs and two paid races a year; race fees fund trail maintenance.
Audience	Primary: adults of every pace who want a friendly group to run with, including beginners who feel intimidated by racing. Secondary: race sponsors and the county parks department.
Goals	Feel welcoming to beginners while still looking credible to sponsors; unify a club that currently uses a different logo on every shirt; raise race registrations by 20 percent.
Constraints	Volunteer budget; artwork must screen print in one or two colors on shirts and print on race bibs; must read clearly as a small avatar on social media.
Drone imagery location	A trailhead for the weekly group runs. The instructor names an open area on campus as the stand-in for supervised drone flights.
Deliverables	Logo and lockups, color palette and type, race shirt and bib layout, social media avatar and post template, and a brand guidelines book that future volunteers can follow.
Brand notes	Energetic, inclusive, outdoorsy. Avoid aggressive or extreme-sport imagery. The members voted for orange as a club color.

Email from the Client

Hey there! Every year a new volunteer makes the race shirt and every year it looks different. Sponsors have asked if we are even the same club. We want one look we can hand off for years. Most of our members are not elite runners and we want them to feel like this club is for them. Looking forward to working with you. Marcus

Fictitious client. This business was created for the course. For the Client Research Notebook, research real competitors in the same field.

Client	Westside Community Health Clinic. Outreach director: Priya Shah.
Business	A nonprofit primary-care clinic in Glendale serving uninsured and underinsured families, with a sliding-scale fee. Offers family medicine, vaccinations and a bilingual nutrition program.
Audience	Primary: families in the West Valley, many of them Spanish-speaking, some with limited reading skills. Secondary: donors and grant funders.
Goals	Look trustworthy and calm rather than institutional; make every material work in English and Spanish; help families find the right service quickly.
Constraints	All materials must meet WCAG AA contrast; the identity must work in black and white for photocopied flyers; no stock imagery of doctors in white coats; the name is long and must stay complete.
Drone imagery location	The clinic and its community garden. The instructor names an open area on campus as the stand-in for supervised drone flights.
Deliverables	Logo and lockups, color palette and type, bilingual flyer, appointment card, letterhead, and a brand guidelines book for staff and volunteers.
Brand notes	Caring, clear, respectful. The clinic wants to feel like a neighbor, not a hospital. Staff mentioned the green of the clinic’s community garden.

Email from the Client

Hello, and thank you. Our flyers are usually made in a hurry and many patients tell us they did not know we offered nutrition classes. We need materials that are clear in both languages and easy to read for everyone. Our budget is small and we photocopy a lot. What do you need from us to start? Best, Priya

Copy this outline into a Google Doc and complete every section for your client. Keep it to one or two pages. The positioning statement and the brand attributes must be in your own words.

Section	What to write
Background	Who the client is, what they do and why they need a new identity now.
Objectives	Two or three measurable goals for the identity.
Audience	Primary and secondary audiences, and what each needs.
Positioning statement	For [audience], [client] is the [category] that [difference], because [reason to believe].
Brand attributes	Three to five adjectives the identity must express.
Deliverables	Every piece you will design this semester.
Constraints	Budget, printing, sizes, accessibility and anything the client has ruled out.
Timeline	Key dates from this course schedule.

Objectives

1. 1.1 Analyze how a published brand guideline controls logo use, color, typography and voice (Course Competency 6)
2. 1.2 Conduct client, audience and competitor research using cited, verified sources (Course Competency 1)
3. 1.4 Critique classmates’ research summaries and briefs using the three-part critique format (Course Competency 6)

10 points, Process Work. This assignment measures Module Objectives 1.1, 1.2 and 1.4, which support Course Competencies 1 and 6.

Overview

Part of Module 1: Brand Thinking, Clients and the Creative Brief.

Instructions

1. Guideline audit: from the published guideline you read, post two screenshots: a logo or color page, and a typography or voice page. In 100 to 150 words, explain what each page controls. Name one rule a designer would be tempted to break.
2. Choose your client on the Client Work page: Client Packet A: Saguaro Ridge Coffee Roasters, Client Packet B: Desert Dash Trail Running Club or Client Packet C: Westside Community Health Clinic, or a real client the instructor arranged.
3. In Gemini Notebook, add four sources: the client packet or client materials, two competitors, and one audience or industry source. Ask the notebook five research questions you wrote yourself.
4. Check two of the notebook’s answers against the original source. Record whether each was accurate.
5. Write a one-page research summary (Google Doc or PDF): audience, competitors, three opportunities, your five questions and the accuracy notes.
6. If Gemini Notebook is blocked, do the same research in a Google Doc with GCC Library databases and company websites.

• Critique: comment on three classmates’ posts in the critique format by the due time.
• Submit in Canvas: your files, your process evidence (sketches, construction files or screenshots), your AI-use log rows, and links to your three critique comments.
• Follow the accessibility rules.

Rubric

Criterion	Evaluates	Points
Guideline audit names what each page controls	Objective 1.1	2
Research summary: audience, competitors, three opportunities, cited	Objective 1.2	3
Own research questions and two verified answers	Objective 1.2	2
Three critique comments in the critique format	Objective 1.4	2
AI-use log and alt text	Objective 1.2	1
Total		10

Objectives

1. 1.3 Write a creative brief and a client kickoff email that state objectives, audience, positioning, deliverables and constraints (Course Competency 4)
2. 1.4 Critique classmates’ research summaries and briefs using the three-part critique format (Course Competency 6)

10 points, Process Work. This assignment measures Module Objectives 1.3 and 1.4, which support Course Competencies 4 and 6.

Overview

Part of Module 1: Brand Thinking, Clients and the Creative Brief.

Instructions

1. Using the Creative Brief Template, write a one to two page creative brief: background, objectives, audience, positioning statement, brand attributes (three to five adjectives), deliverables, constraints and timeline.
2. Write a kickoff email of 150 to 250 words. Confirm the scope (what you will deliver) and ask three discovery questions. If you have a real client, send it and copy the instructor. If you have a client packet, submit it in Canvas.
3. Gemini may suggest structure and edits. Write the positioning statement and brand attributes yourself, and mark them in your AI-use log.
4. Technical specification: PDF, letter size, client name in the file name.

• Critique: comment on three classmates’ posts in the critique format by the due time.
• Submit in Canvas: your files, your process evidence (sketches, construction files or screenshots), your AI-use log rows, and links to your three critique comments.
• Follow the accessibility rules.

Rubric

Criterion	Evaluates	Points
Brief states objectives, audience, positioning, deliverables and constraints	Objective 1.3	4
Kickoff email is professional and asks three discovery questions	Objective 1.3	2
Positioning and attributes in your own words, marked in the log	Objective 1.3	1
Three critique comments in the critique format	Objective 1.4	2
Tagged PDF with real headings	Objective 1.3	1
Total		10

Objectives

1. 2.1 Generate a range of concepts through word lists and at least sixty thumbnail sketches (Course Competency 1)
2. 2.2 Select and arrange 9 to 12 found or original images into a moodboard that applies the brand attributes to color, texture and type (Course Competency 2)
3. 2.4 Critique classmates’ thumbnails and logo directions using the three-part critique format (Course Competency 6)

10 points, Process Work. This assignment measures Module Objectives 2.1, 2.2 and 2.4, which support Course Competencies 1, 2 and 6.

Overview

Part of Module 2: Ideation: From Words to Marks.

Instructions

1. Word lists: make three columns (nouns, verbs and feelings) from your brand attributes. Gemini may add words; mark which words are yours.
2. Sketch sixty thumbnails (small, quick sketches) by hand or on a tablet. Photograph or scan them onto one or two pages.
3. Build a moodboard of 9 to 12 images that show color, texture, type and photo style. Use your own photos and drawings, client images, or openly licensed images (free to reuse under their license). Credit each image. No AI-generated images. Gemini may suggest search terms.
4. Circle the six strongest thumbnails and write one sentence on each.

• Critique: comment on three classmates’ posts in the critique format by the due time.
• Submit in Canvas: your files, your process evidence (sketches, construction files or screenshots), your AI-use log rows, and links to your three critique comments.
• Follow the accessibility rules.

Rubric

Criterion	Evaluates	Points
Sixty thumbnails with a real range of concepts	Objective 2.1	3
Word lists drawn from the brand attributes	Objective 2.1	1
Moodboard applies the attributes; every image credited	Objective 2.2	2
Three critique comments in the critique format	Objective 2.4	2
Six selections explained; alt text on posted images	Objective 2.1	2
Total		10

Objectives

1. 2.3 Develop three distinct logo directions in vector, and classify each by logo type with a reason that type suits the client (Course Competency 1)
2. 2.4 Critique classmates’ thumbnails and logo directions using the three-part critique format (Course Competency 6)

10 points, Process Work. This assignment measures Module Objectives 2.3 and 2.4, which support Course Competencies 1 and 6.

Overview

Part of Module 2: Ideation: From Words to Marks.

Instructions

1. Develop three directions in Illustrator from your sketches. Each must be a different idea, not three versions of one idea.
2. Show each direction in black and at small size, beside the sketch it came from.
3. For each direction, write a one-paragraph rationale (the reasons behind your choices). Name its logo type, explain why that type suits the client, and connect it to the brief. The rationale is also your note to the client.
4. No AI-generated marks, and no Image Trace of AI output.
5. Technical specification: one Illustrator file with three artboards, plus a PDF.

• Critique: comment on three classmates’ posts in the critique format by the due time.
• Submit in Canvas: your files, your process evidence (sketches, construction files or screenshots), your AI-use log rows, and links to your three critique comments.
• Follow the accessibility rules.

Rubric

Criterion	Evaluates	Points
Three distinct directions drawn in vector from your sketches	Objective 2.3	4
Each direction classified by logo type with a reason	Objective 2.3	2
Rationale tied to the brief	Objective 2.3	1
Three critique comments in the critique format	Objective 2.4	2
AI-use log and alt text	Objective 2.3	1
Total		10

Objectives

1. 3.5 Produce a simple three-page website layout in Figma with consistent navigation, readable text and named layers (Course Competency 3)

10 points, Exercises. This assignment measures Module Objective 3.5, which supports Course Competency 3.

Overview

Part of Module 3: Logo Construction and Refinement. You make three desktop pages in Figma for Sidewalk Sips, a fictitious neighborhood coffee cart: Home, About and Contact. Your instructor gives you all the words and photos, so you can focus on learning the tool. Plan on one sitting of about 2.5 hours. You do not need components, auto layout or prototyping; those come in Module 14. This is an exercise, so there is no Discord critique. If you already did this warm-up in AVC 190, build it again with a new layout; it goes faster the second time.

AI: none. This is hands-on practice in Figma. Do not use Figma’s AI features. Your AI-use log for the Figma Warm-Up says “No AI used.”

Instructions

1. Make your Figma account. Go to Figma for Education and sign up with your Maricopa email (MEID@maricopa.edu). Figma asks college students to confirm they are 18 or older for the education plan. If you cannot get it, sign up for the free Starter plan instead; it has everything this exercise needs. Still stuck? Your instructor can share a starter file for you to copy.
2. Get the content. Open the Figma Warm-Up Content Pack from the link in the Canvas assignment. It has the words for each page, the nav labels and six photos with credits and alt text. Download the photos to one folder. Use the words as they are; this exercise is about layout, not writing.
3. Start a file. In Figma, choose Create (or the plus sign), then Design. Name the file “Your Last Name Figma Warm-Up.”
4. Make three frames. A frame is one page, like an artboard in Illustrator. Press F for the Frame tool, then choose Desktop in the panel on the right. Make three desktop frames side by side. Double-click each frame’s name and rename them Home, About and Contact.
5. Build the nav bar on Home. Press R for the Rectangle tool and draw a bar across the top of the frame. Press T for the Text tool and type the business name on the left and the nav labels Home, About and Contact on the right.
6. Add the words. With the Text tool, place the headline and page copy on Home, the About copy on About, and the contact details on Contact. Make headlines large and body text at least 16 pixels. Use dark text on a light background, or light text on a dark one, so it is easy to read.
7. Place the photos. Drag photos from your computer into a frame. Put at least one photo on each page. To resize a photo without stretching it, hold Shift while you drag a corner. Put the photo credits from the pack in small text at the bottom of the Contact page.
8. Line things up. Select two or more layers, then use the alignment buttons at the top of the right panel (align left, align center, align top). Keep the same space at the left edge of every page.
9. Group and copy the nav bar. Select the bar and its text and press Command + G (Mac) or Ctrl + G (Windows) to group them. Name the group Nav. Copy it, select the About frame and paste, then do the same on Contact. Check that the nav bar sits in the same spot on all three pages.
10. Name your layers. In the Layers panel on the left, double-click each layer and give it a plain name, such as Headline, Hero photo or Contact email. No “Rectangle 4.”
11. Share a view link. Click Share, set the link so anyone with the link can view, and copy it. Open the link in a private browser window to make sure it works.
12. Export each page. Select a frame, find Export at the bottom of the right panel, choose PNG and click Export. Do this for all three frames.
13. Submit in Canvas: the view link, the three PNG files, and alt text for each PNG: one or two sentences that say what the page shows.

• If you get stuck, post a screenshot in the AVC 283 Discord channel with the step number.
• Screen-reader users: Figma’s canvas is hard to use with a screen reader. Send a Canvas Inbox message, and an equivalent path will be set up.
• Follow the accessibility rules: check that your text is easy to read against its background, and write alt text for every PNG you submit.

Rubric

Criterion	Evaluates	Points
Three pages (Home, About and Contact) with the same nav bar in the same spot on each	Objective 3.5	4
Content placed and readable, with strong contrast between text and background, and alt text on each PNG	Objective 3.5	3
Frames and layers named in plain words	Objective 3.5	2
View link opens the file	Objective 3.5	1
Total		10

Objectives

1. 3.1 Construct clean vector paths with the Pen and Curvature tools (Course Competency 3)
2. 3.2 Apply optical adjustments (overshoot, stroke compensation and spacing) to a mark (Course Competency 2)
3. 3.3 Produce horizontal and stacked lockups with clear space and minimum size rules (Course Competency 1)
4. 3.4 Critique classmates’ refined marks using the three-part critique format (Course Competency 6)

10 points, Process Work. This assignment measures Module Objectives 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 and 3.4, which support Course Competencies 1, 2, 3 and 6.

Overview

Part of Module 3: Logo Construction and Refinement.

Instructions

1. Refine the direction the client chose.
2. Deliver: primary mark; horizontal and stacked lockups; one-color and reversed versions; a favicon (browser tab icon) at 32 pixels; a clear space diagram; and a minimum size.
3. Write a 150-word design rationale in plain words a client would understand. Name the optical adjustments you made.
4. You may use Gemini as a critique partner. Upload the mark and ask where it fails at small size. Record what you changed and what you rejected.
5. Submit the construction file, with anchor points visible in a screenshot.

• Critique: comment on three classmates’ posts in the critique format by the due time.
• Submit in Canvas: your files, your process evidence (sketches, construction files or screenshots), your AI-use log rows, and links to your three critique comments.
• Follow the accessibility rules.

Rubric

Criterion	Evaluates	Points
Clean construction with few anchor points	Objective 3.1	3
Optical adjustments made and named	Objective 3.2	2
Lockups, variations, clear space and minimum size	Objective 3.3	2
Three critique comments in the critique format	Objective 3.4	2
AI-use log and alt text	Objective 3.1	1
Total		10

Objectives

1. 4.1 Specify a brand palette in CMYK, RGB and HEX values that meets WCAG AA contrast for every text pairing (Course Competency 2)
2. 4.4 Critique classmates’ palettes and system boards using the three-part critique format (Course Competency 6)

10 points, Process Work. This assignment measures Module Objectives 4.1 and 4.4, which support Course Competencies 2 and 6.

Overview

Part of Module 4: Color, Type and the Identity System.

Instructions

1. Build a palette in Illustrator as a global swatch group: two to three primary colors and three to five secondary colors.
2. List the CMYK (print), RGB (screen) and HEX (web) values for each color. You may list a Pantone match as “to be verified by printer.”
3. Test every text and background pair you plan to use in the WebAIM Contrast Checker. Record each contrast ratio and whether it passes WCAG AA, the accessibility standard this course uses.
4. Adobe Color may suggest variations. Record your final choices and why you made them.

• Critique: comment on three classmates’ posts in the critique format by the due time.
• Submit in Canvas: your files, your process evidence (sketches, construction files or screenshots), your AI-use log rows, and links to your three critique comments.
• Follow the accessibility rules.

Rubric

Criterion	Evaluates	Points
Palette specified in CMYK, RGB and HEX	Objective 4.1	3
Every text pairing checked and recorded for AA	Objective 4.1	3
Choices explained	Objective 4.1	1
Three critique comments in the critique format	Objective 4.4	2
AI-use log and alt text	Objective 4.1	1
Total		10

Objectives

1. 4.2 Select a licensed type pairing with a clear hierarchy, and document each typeface’s license (Course Competency 2)
2. 4.3 Assemble an identity system board that extends the mark with graphic elements and an imagery direction (Course Competency 1)
3. 4.4 Critique classmates’ palettes and system boards using the three-part critique format (Course Competency 6)

10 points, Process Work. This assignment measures Module Objectives 4.2, 4.3 and 4.4, which support Course Competencies 1, 2 and 6.

Overview

Part of Module 4: Color, Type and the Identity System.

Instructions

1. Post one board with: the mark and lockups; the palette with values and contrast results; a type pairing with a sample hierarchy (display, heading, body, caption); two graphic elements based on the mark; and an imagery direction from your own photos or openly licensed images.
2. In 150 to 200 words, explain how each part expresses the brand attributes. List the license for each typeface.

• Critique: comment on three classmates’ posts in the critique format by the due time.
• Submit in Canvas: your files, your process evidence (sketches, construction files or screenshots), your AI-use log rows, and links to your three critique comments.
• Follow the accessibility rules.

Rubric

Criterion	Evaluates	Points
Type pairing with hierarchy and licenses listed	Objective 4.2	2
Board extends the mark with graphic elements and imagery direction	Objective 4.3	3
Explanation ties each part to the attributes	Objective 4.3	2
Three critique comments in the critique format	Objective 4.4	2
AI-use log and alt text	Objective 4.3	1
Total		10

Four deliverables in this course may be made with equipment in the GCC STEAMworks XR lab. Each lab option sits inside an existing assignment. It is never an additional assignment, and it does not add time to the module. Every lab option has an equal path that requires no lab, so fully online students can earn full marks.

The rubric is the same for every option. The criteria evaluate the design: concept, typography, hierarchy, consistency with the identity system and the written rationale. They do not evaluate the machine. A printed, hand-cut piece can earn full marks.

Option	Assignment	What you make	Path with no lab
NFC brand object	3D Application in Context (Module 5), carried into Project 1	A leave-behind, business card or promotional item, laser-cut or engraved in wood, acrylic or leather, with an embedded NFC tag that opens the client’s brand site	The same cut and engrave files, printed on cardstock and cut by hand, with a QR code that opens the same link
Packaging prototype	3D Application in Context (Module 5)	The package dieline cut and scored from cardboard on the laser cutter, then folded	The dieline printed on cardstock, then cut and folded by hand
Drone brand imagery	Brand Imagery and Image Treatments (Module 9)	Aerial photographs of a location for your client, used as brand imagery	Your own ground-level photographs, client photographs or openly licensed images
AR layer	Interactive Features (Module 10)	A printed spread of the guidelines book, or your package, that opens AR content on a phone: a short logo animation, a video or a 3D view of the mark	No lab visit is required; the AR layer needs only a phone and the AR tool STEAMworks supports

Booking the Lab

• Book lab time through STEAMworks. Booking windows for every option are posted in Canvas in Week 1. Book at least one week before the assignment is due.
• Complete the STEAMworks safety orientation during your first lab visit, before you use the laser cutter or any other equipment.
• STEAMworks supplies the materials: wood, acrylic, leather, cardboard and NFC tags.
• Phones read NFC tags (NTAG213, NTAG215 or NTAG216). They cannot read the 125 kHz RFID tags used in access cards.
• If a booking falls through, switch to the path with no lab. There is no grade penalty.

Drone Flights

• Students fly a drone only under the direct supervision of the instructor, who serves as the FAA Part 107 remote pilot in command and can take control at any time.
• No flying over people. Flights take place only at the locations and times the instructor sets.
• The instructor handles airspace authorization for every flight.
• Students under 18 follow the same supervised path as every other student.
• Each client is fictitious, so each client packet names a stand-in location for drone imagery.
• Drone photographs are real images. Record them in your licensing table with yourself as the photographer.

Gemini and the Lab Options

The course AI rule applies to every option: Gemini writes; it never designs. Gemini may help you draft the written rationale or a shot list. It does not create the object, the dieline, the AR content or any image.

Objectives

1. 5.1 Produce business correspondence to print specifications with correct size, bleed and color mode (Course Competency 4)
2. 5.3 Critique classmates’ correspondence and 3D pieces for brand consistency using the three-part critique format (Course Competency 6)

10 points, Process Work. This assignment measures Module Objectives 5.1 and 5.3, which support Course Competencies 4 and 6.

Overview

Part of Module 5: Business Correspondence and 3D Applications.

Instructions

1. In one Illustrator file, build each piece on its own artboard: letterhead, business card front and back, #10 envelope, email signature and social media avatar.
2. Use these sizes: business card 3.5 by 2 inches; letterhead 8.5 by 11 inches; #10 envelope 9.5 by 4.125 inches; email signature 600 pixels wide. Add a 0.125-inch bleed to every print piece. Bleed is extra artwork past the trim edge, so no white edge shows after cutting.
3. Export a print PDF with bleed and an RGB PNG set.

• Critique: comment on three classmates’ posts in the critique format by the due time.
• Submit in Canvas: your files, your process evidence (sketches, construction files or screenshots), your AI-use log rows, and links to your three critique comments.
• Follow the accessibility rules.

Rubric

Criterion	Evaluates	Points
Every piece built to size, bleed and color mode	Objective 5.1	4
System applied consistently across the set	Objective 5.1	2
Correct exports: print PDF with bleed and RGB PNG set	Objective 5.1	1
Three critique comments in the critique format	Objective 5.3	2
AI-use log and alt text	Objective 5.1	1
Total		10

Objectives

1. 5.2 Apply the identity system to one 3D piece (a package, vehicle wrap, apparel or brand object) built to production specifications and shown in two credited scenes (Course Competency 1)
2. 5.3 Critique classmates’ correspondence and 3D pieces for brand consistency using the three-part critique format (Course Competency 6)

10 points, Process Work. This assignment measures Module Objectives 5.2 and 5.3, which support Course Competencies 1 and 6.

Overview

Part of Module 5: Business Correspondence and 3D Applications.

Instructions

Choose one 3D option. Each one is about the same amount of work. The package and the brand object have lab options, described in STEAMworks Lab Options. Each has a path with no lab, and the rubric is the same for every option.

Option	What you make	Specifications
Package	A box, bag, label, can or other container for the client’s product	A dieline (the flat cut-and-fold pattern) on its own layer as a spot color named “Dieline,” with art and 0.125-inch bleed past every cut line on another layer, in Illustrator. Lab option: cut and score the dieline from cardboard on the laser cutter
Vehicle wrap	A wrap for a bus, a light rail car, a car or a blimp	Both sides, or one side and the rear, on the instructor’s flat side-view outline at scale; logo and text off doors, handles, wheel wells and seams
Apparel	A shirt, hat, jacket or tote for staff, fans or customers	Front and back flats (flat technical drawings of the garment) with print placement and size in inches, ink colors and print method on a one-page tech pack, the spec sheet a manufacturer works from
Brand object	A leave-behind, business card or promotional item that opens the client’s brand site with a tap: for example, a coaster for the Saguaro Ridge tasting bar, a bag tag for Desert Dash race finishers or an appointment card for Westside Community Health Clinic	An Illustrator file at actual size with a cut layer and an engrave layer, each as a named spot color, and a marked pocket for an NFC tag. Lab option: laser-cut or engrave it in wood, acrylic or leather. Path with no lab: print it on cardstock, cut it by hand and add a QR code to the same link

1. Open the matching template from Canvas: a dieline, a vehicle outline or a garment flat. Work at the template’s scale.
2. Package: mark which panel is the front. Print it on cardstock and cut it by hand, or cut it from cardboard on the laser cutter. Fold it and photograph the prototype from three angles.
3. Brand object: link the tag or QR code to the client’s brand site. For a fictitious client, a one-page Google Sites placeholder with the logo and tagline is enough (see From Gemini to a Web Page). Test the tap or scan on two phones and photograph the object from three angles.
4. Vehicle wrap: make the name readable from across a street. Test by viewing the outline at 10 percent zoom.
5. Apparel: label the art’s size in inches and its distance from the collar. List ink colors and the print method (screen print, embroidery or direct-to-garment).
6. Show it in two scenes: credited mockups (Photoshop Smart Objects on openly licensed photographs, or the instructor’s templates), or photographs of your real prototype. No AI mockup tools or AI-generated scenes.
7. In 150 words, explain one consistency rule you followed and one rule you had to add for the object.

• Critique: comment on three classmates’ posts in the critique format by the due time.
• Submit in Canvas: your files, your process evidence (sketches, construction files or screenshots), your AI-use log rows, and links to your three critique comments.
• Follow the accessibility rules.

Rubric

Criterion	Evaluates	Points
Production file correct for the form: dieline layers and bleed, vehicle avoidance zones, flats with placement and specifications, or cut and engrave layers for the brand object	Objective 5.2	3
Two credited mockup scenes or prototype photographs, placed with correct perspective	Objective 5.2	2
Brand applied consistently and readable at real viewing distance, with the explanation	Objective 5.2	2
Three critique comments in the critique format	Objective 5.3	2
AI-use log and alt text	Objective 5.2	1
Total		10

Objectives

1. 6.1 Present an identity system to a client in a concise deck, a cover email and a recorded walkthrough (Course Competency 4)
2. 6.2 Produce a complete, production-ready visual identity system with files built to specification (Course Competency 1)
3. 6.3 Critique classmates’ identity systems using the three-part critique format (Course Competency 6)

30 points, Projects. This assignment measures Module Objectives 6.1, 6.2 and 6.3, which support Course Competencies 1, 4 and 6.

This project shows evidence of these course competencies:

• 1. Develop visual identity systems through logo design and brand applications
• 4. Produce professional graphic design materials for print and digital applications
• 6. Evaluate graphic design projects for visual effectiveness, accessibility, technical quality, and portfolio presentation

Overview

Part of Module 6: Presenting the Identity.

Instructions

1. Identity package: Illustrator files (mark, lockups, variations, palette, graphic elements), print PDFs, PNG and SVG exports, and a Creative Cloud Library shared with the instructor.
2. Applications: the stationery set and the 3D piece, revised from Business Correspondence Set and 3D Application feedback.
3. Client presentation: 8 to 12 slides (concept, mark, system, applications, next steps), and a cover email of 150 to 250 words.
4. Recorded walkthrough of the deck, about three minutes. Explain your decisions in plain words a client would understand. Correct the captions by hand.
5. Optional extension: a short animated logo reveal in After Effects or Adobe Express.

• Critique: comment on three classmates’ posts in the critique format by the due time.
• Submit in Canvas: your files, your process evidence (sketches, construction files or screenshots), your AI-use log rows, and links to your three critique comments.
• Follow the accessibility rules.

Rubric

Criterion	Evaluates	Points
Competency 1: logo craft, vector construction and complete identity system	Objective 6.2	10
Competency 4: applications and production files built to specification	Objective 6.2	8
Competency 4: deck, cover email and recorded walkthrough in client language	Objective 6.1	7
Three critique comments in the critique format	Objective 6.3	2
Accessibility: captions corrected by hand, alt text, accessible deck	Objective 6.1	3
Total		30

Objectives

1. 7.1 Plan the structure of a 16 to 24 page brand guidelines book (Course Competency 5)
2. 7.2 Write brand voice principles with do and do not examples (Course Competency 4)
3. 7.6 Critique classmates’ book plans and book shells using the three-part critique format (Course Competency 6)

10 points, Process Work. This assignment measures Module Objectives 7.1, 7.2 and 7.6, which support Course Competencies 4, 5 and 6.

Overview

Part of Module 7: Typography, Grids and Parent Pages.

Instructions

1. Post the book outline (16 to 24 pages): cover, contents, brand story, logo, logo misuse, color, typography, graphic elements, imagery, voice, applications and contact.
2. Draft the voice section: three voice principles, each with a do and a do not example. Gemini may rewrite a sample paragraph in different voices. You choose and edit the final wording. Mark your edits in the AI-use log.
3. Add two or three key messages from your creative brief, and the tagline if the brand has one. The voice section and the key messages are the brand’s written side; you use them again in the brand generator.

• Critique: comment on three classmates’ posts in the critique format by the due time.
• Submit in Canvas: your files, your process evidence (sketches, construction files or screenshots), your AI-use log rows, and links to your three critique comments.
• Follow the accessibility rules.

Rubric

Criterion	Evaluates	Points
Complete outline with page plan	Objective 7.1	3
Three voice principles with do and do not examples, plus key messages	Objective 7.2	3
Edits to any Gemini wording marked in the log	Objective 7.2	1
Three critique comments in the critique format	Objective 7.6	2
Accessible document with real headings	Objective 7.2	1
Total		10

Objectives

1. 7.3 Apply advanced typographic controls (kerning, tracking, leading, OpenType features, rag and hyphenation) and a six-level hierarchy in InDesign (Course Competency 2)
2. 7.4 Construct a modular grid aligned to a baseline grid, and set up a custom preflight profile (Course Competency 3)
3. 7.5 Build parent pages, including nested parent pages, with page numbers and section markers (Course Competency 5)
4. 7.6 Critique classmates’ book plans and book shells using the three-part critique format (Course Competency 6)

10 points, Process Work. This assignment measures Module Objectives 7.3, 7.4, 7.5 and 7.6, which support Course Competencies 2, 3, 5 and 6.

Overview

Part of Module 7: Typography, Grids and Parent Pages.

Instructions

1. Set up the full book: page size, margins, bleed, a modular grid aligned to a baseline grid, parent pages (including one nested parent page) and section markers.
2. Build the typography spread first. Show the brand typefaces, a character set sample, the weights, and a six-level hierarchy (display, H1, H2, body, caption, pull quote) with sizes and leading.
3. On the typography spread, show one paragraph before and after refinement. List the controls you changed (kerning, tracking, leading, OpenType features, rag or hyphenation).
4. Lay out three more spreads with real content: cover, logo section and color section.
5. Create and turn on a custom preflight profile. Preflight is InDesign’s automatic error check. Your profile should flag missing links, RGB images in the print version, overset text (text that does not fit its frame) and low image resolution.
6. Technical specification: packaged InDesign file and a PDF. Post screenshots with grids visible.

• Critique: comment on three classmates’ posts in the critique format by the due time.
• Submit in Canvas: your files, your process evidence (sketches, construction files or screenshots), your AI-use log rows, and links to your three critique comments.
• Follow the accessibility rules.

Rubric

Criterion	Evaluates	Points
Typography spread: six-level hierarchy, and refinement shown with the controls named	Objective 7.3	3
Modular grid aligned to the baseline grid; custom preflight profile on and clean	Objective 7.4	2
Parent pages, nested parent, page numbers and section markers	Objective 7.5	2
Three critique comments in the critique format	Objective 7.6	2
AI-use log and alt text	Objective 7.5	1
Total		10

Objectives

1. 8.1 Build paragraph, character, nested and GREP styles from the brand hierarchy (Course Competency 3)
2. 8.2 Set up object styles, and map paragraph styles to export tags for accessible PDF output (Course Competency 3)

10 points, Exercises. This assignment measures Module Objectives 8.1 and 8.2, which support Course Competency 3.

Overview

Part of Module 8: Styles as a System.

Instructions

1. In your book file, build at least: eight paragraph styles, four character styles, one nested style (for example, a bold lead-in), one GREP style (for example, for the brand name or color values) and two object styles.
2. Set export tags for headings (H1 to H3) and body (P).
3. Gemini may explain a GREP pattern. Test it, and record the final expression and what you changed.
4. Submit a screenshot of each styles panel and the tested GREP expression.

• Include your AI-use log rows. “No AI used” is a complete entry.
• Follow the accessibility rules.

Rubric

Criterion	Evaluates	Points
Paragraph and character styles from the brand hierarchy	Objective 8.1	3
Nested and tested GREP styles	Objective 8.1	3
Object styles and export tags set	Objective 8.2	3
AI-use log	Objective 8.1	1
Total		10

Objectives

1. 8.3 Critique typography and composition in classmates’ spreads using design vocabulary (Course Competency 6)

10 points, Exercises. This assignment measures Module Objective 8.3, which supports Course Competency 6.

Overview

Every discussion uses the same format and rubric. Make one post that answers the prompt, with images of your work. Then reply to three classmates in the critique format. Discussions run in Canvas, not Discord.

Prompt

Post three styled spreads from your book. In 150 words, explain how the grid and styles create hierarchy and consistency. Name one place where a style now does work you used to do by hand.

Reply to three classmates on typography and composition, using the critique format.

See the critique format.

Accessibility: alt text on every image you post.

Rubric

Criterion	Evaluates	Points
Post addresses every part of the prompt with specific evidence from the work	Objective 8.3	4
Visual evidence at a legible size, labeled	Objective 8.3	2
Accessibility: alt text on every image	Objective 8.3	1
Three replies in the critique format by the due time	Objective 8.3	3
Total		10

Objectives

1. 9.1 Apply image treatments in Photoshop that follow the brand’s imagery direction (Course Competency 2)
2. 9.3 Document the source, creator and license of every image in a licensing table (Course Competency 4)
3. 9.4 Critique classmates’ image treatments and spreads using the three-part critique format (Course Competency 6)

10 points, Process Work. This assignment measures Module Objectives 9.1, 9.3 and 9.4, which support Course Competencies 2, 4 and 6.

Overview

Part of Module 9: Images, Wraps and Anchored Objects.

Instructions

1. Prepare four images in the brand’s imagery style. Use client photos, your own photos or illustrations, or openly licensed images. No AI-generated images.
2. Drone imagery option: shoot one or more of the four images as aerial photographs of your client’s stand-in location on a supervised flight (see STEAMworks Lab Options). Students without lab access use their own ground-level photographs; the rubric is the same.
3. Edit each image in Photoshop with adjustment layers and masks. Post a before and after of each, with one sentence naming the treatment.
4. Complete a licensing table: image, source, creator, license, and how you modified it.

• Critique: comment on three classmates’ posts in the critique format by the due time.
• Submit in Canvas: your files, your process evidence (sketches, construction files or screenshots), your AI-use log rows, and links to your three critique comments.
• Follow the accessibility rules.

Rubric

Criterion	Evaluates	Points
Four treated images that follow the imagery direction	Objective 9.1	3
Before and after with the treatment named	Objective 9.1	2
Complete licensing table	Objective 9.3	2
Three critique comments in the critique format	Objective 9.4	2
Alt text on every posted image	Objective 9.1	1
Total		10

Objectives

1. 9.2 Integrate images with text wrap and anchored objects, and write alt text in Object Export Options (Course Competency 5)
2. 9.4 Critique classmates’ image treatments and spreads using the three-part critique format (Course Competency 6)

10 points, Process Work. This assignment measures Module Objectives 9.2 and 9.4, which support Course Competencies 5 and 6.

Overview

Part of Module 9: Images, Wraps and Anchored Objects.

Instructions

1. Lay out two spreads that use text wrap, at least two anchored objects and captions.
2. Write alt text for every meaningful image in Object Export Options, and list it in your post. Mark decorative images as artifacts, so screen readers skip them.
3. In 150 words, explain how image placement supports reading order and hierarchy.

• Critique: comment on three classmates’ posts in the critique format by the due time.
• Submit in Canvas: your files, your process evidence (sketches, construction files or screenshots), your AI-use log rows, and links to your three critique comments.
• Follow the accessibility rules.

Rubric

Criterion	Evaluates	Points
Text wrap and two anchored objects that move with the text	Objective 9.2	3
Alt text in Object Export Options, decorative images artifacted	Objective 9.2	2
Reading order explanation	Objective 9.2	2
Three critique comments in the critique format	Objective 9.4	2
AI-use log	Objective 9.2	1
Total		10

Objectives

1. 10.1 Generate a table of contents from paragraph styles, and build bookmarks, hyperlinks and cross-references (Course Competency 5)
2. 10.2 Add navigation buttons, set the Articles panel reading order, and export an interactive PDF (Course Competency 5)
3. 10.3 Compare an interactive PDF with a reflowable EPUB, and choose a format for a stated purpose (Course Competency 6)
4. 10.6 Critique classmates’ interactive features and full drafts using the three-part critique format (Course Competency 6)

10 points, Process Work. This assignment measures Module Objectives 10.1, 10.2, 10.3 and 10.6, which support Course Competencies 5 and 6.

Overview

Part of Module 10: Interactivity and Accessible Publications.

Instructions

1. In the book, build the table of contents from your styles and make it clickable. Add bookmarks, internal links, one external link, and next and previous buttons on the parent page.
2. Set the reading order for one spread in the Articles panel. Export an interactive PDF.
3. Click through your PDF in Acrobat and fix every link or button that does not work.
4. In 100 words, explain when a brand book should be an interactive PDF, and when a reflowable EPUB (an e-book file whose text resizes to fit the screen) is better. Exporting the voice section as an EPUB is optional.
5. AR layer option, in place of the optional EPUB: add an AR layer to one printed spread of the book or to your Module 5 package. The printed piece opens AR content on a phone, such as a short logo animation, a video or a 3D view of the mark, built by you with the AR tool STEAMworks supports (see STEAMworks Lab Options). No AI-generated content. Your 100 words may compare the AR layer with the interactive PDF instead of the EPUB; the rubric is the same.

• Critique: comment on three classmates’ posts in the critique format by the due time.
• Submit in Canvas: your files, your process evidence (sketches, construction files or screenshots), your AI-use log rows, and links to your three critique comments.
• Follow the accessibility rules.

Rubric

Criterion	Evaluates	Points
Table of contents, bookmarks and links work	Objective 10.1	3
Buttons and Articles panel order set; interactive PDF exported	Objective 10.2	2
Format comparison for a stated purpose	Objective 10.3	2
Three critique comments in the critique format	Objective 10.6	2
AI-use log	Objective 10.2	1
Total		10

Objectives

1. 10.4 Export a tagged, interactive PDF from InDesign with document title, language, bookmarks and alt text (Course Competency 5)
2. 10.5 Evaluate your own PDF with the Acrobat Accessibility Checker and Reading Order tool, and fix the failures you find (Course Competency 6)
3. 10.6 Critique classmates’ interactive features and full drafts using the three-part critique format (Course Competency 6)

10 points, Process Work. This assignment measures Module Objectives 10.4, 10.5 and 10.6, which support Course Competencies 5 and 6.

Overview

Part of Module 10: Interactivity and Accessible Publications. This is the last check before Final Project Part A.

Instructions

1. Draft every section with real content.
2. Export a tagged, interactive PDF with document title, language, bookmarks, alt text and reading order.
3. Run the Acrobat full accessibility check, and check reading order on two spreads with the Reading Order tool.
4. Fix what you can at the source in InDesign: styles and export tags, alt text, decorative images, article order, document title and language. Export again and run the check again.
5. Submit both Acrobat reports. List what you fixed and explain each remaining issue. Update the color palette contrast table for every text and background pair in the book.
6. Gemini may draft alt text. Check each one against WebAIM guidance and record your edits.

• Critique: comment on three classmates’ posts in the critique format by the due time.
• Submit in Canvas: your files, your process evidence (sketches, construction files or screenshots), your AI-use log rows, and links to your three critique comments.
• Follow the accessibility rules.

Rubric

Criterion	Evaluates	Points
Every section drafted with real content	Objective 10.4	2
Tagged interactive PDF with title, language, bookmarks and alt text	Objective 10.4	2
Both Acrobat reports, reading order checked on two spreads, failures fixed in InDesign and remaining issues explained	Objective 10.5	3
Three critique comments in the critique format	Objective 10.6	2
AI-use log with alt text edits recorded	Objective 10.4	1
Total		10

Objectives

1. 11.3 Evaluate classmates’ guidelines books against professional production standards (Course Competency 6)

10 points, Exercises. This assignment measures Module Objective 11.3, which supports Course Competency 6.

Overview

Every discussion uses the same format and rubric. Make one post that answers the prompt, with images of your work. Then reply to three classmates in the critique format. Discussions run in Canvas, not Discord.

Prompt

Post your full book PDF. List three changes you will make before Final Project Part A. Tie each change to a production standard: consistency, preflight, accessibility or print readiness.

Reply to three classmates, each on a different section of their book, using the critique format.

See the critique format.

Accessibility: alt text on every image you post.

Rubric

Criterion	Evaluates	Points
Post addresses every part of the prompt with specific evidence from the work	Objective 11.3	4
Visual evidence at a legible size, labeled	Objective 11.3	2
Accessibility: alt text on every image	Objective 11.3	1
Three replies in the critique format by the due time	Objective 11.3	3
Total		10

Objectives

1. 11.1 Preflight and package a publication for print handoff (Course Competency 3)
2. 11.2 Export print (PDF/X) and interactive, accessible PDF versions of a publication (Course Competency 4)
3. 11.3 Evaluate classmates’ guidelines books against professional production standards (Course Competency 6)

30 points, Projects. This assignment measures Module Objectives 11.1, 11.2 and 11.3, which support Course Competencies 3, 4 and 6.

This project shows evidence of these course competencies:

• 2. Apply advanced typography, composition, and color techniques to graphic design projects
• 3. Use advanced digital design and publishing tools for complex layouts, styles, and document organization
• 4. Produce professional graphic design materials for print and digital applications
• 5. Create multi-page publications incorporating advanced layout techniques, technical document features, and interactive elements
• 6. Evaluate graphic design projects for visual effectiveness, accessibility, technical quality, and portfolio presentation

Overview

Part of Module 11: Production Standards and Final Refinement.

Instructions

1. Packaged InDesign folder: document, links, fonts where the license allows, IDML and PDFs.
2. Print PDF (PDF/X, the print industry’s PDF standard) with bleed and printer’s marks.
3. Interactive, accessible PDF with the Acrobat accessibility report.
4. Licensing table for every image (source, creator, license, modification).
5. Consolidated AI-use log for the book.

• Critique: comment on three classmates’ posts in the critique format by the due time.
• Submit in Canvas: your files, your process evidence (sketches, construction files or screenshots), your AI-use log rows, and links to your three critique comments.
• Follow the accessibility rules.

Rubric

Criterion	Evaluates	Points
Competency 2: advanced typography, composition and color throughout	Objective 11.2	5
Competency 3: grid, parent pages and styles with no local overrides; preflight clean; package complete	Objective 11.1	6
Competency 4: print PDF/X and interactive PDF to professional standard	Objective 11.2	4
Competency 5: working table of contents, bookmarks, links and buttons	Objective 11.2	4
Competency 6: accessibility report clean or every remaining issue explained	Objective 11.2	4
Licensing table complete for every image	Objective 11.1	2
Three critique comments in the critique format	Objective 11.3	2
Accessibility: tagged PDF, alt text, reading order, contrast	Objective 11.2	3
Total		30

Your challenge: design a system that applies your brand to new content for you. You decide what it makes and how it works. There is no single right answer. You try ideas, test them, and keep what works. Designers call this prototyping: building a quick, rough version to learn from before you build the real one.

What your generator makes (choose one)

Target	What it makes	Keep it about this size
Brand website	A small site for your client: home, about, and one to three more pages such as a menu, services, programs, events or contact. One section repeats (menu items, events, programs) and is filled from your content sheet.	3 to 5 pages, desktop and phone layouts
Scheduled social media campaign	A campaign with one goal told in phases: teaser (something is coming), launch (what it is, when and where) and sustain (people, details, reasons to come back), with a content calendar and a scheduling plan.	A few weeks up to three months; at least 12 posts in two formats
Your own idea (instructor approval)	Any system where one design repeats with new content: an email campaign, a digital signage loop, app onboarding screens, an ad set, or a short annual report or brochure where your client content agent writes the long text.	About the same amount of work as the other two. Post the idea in Discord by Tuesday at noon of Week 13.

Ways to build it (prototype at least two)

Try at least two of these on a small test batch of 3 to 5 pieces before you choose. Mixing them is fine, and so is your own approach.

Approach	How it works	Guide
Figma templates and a sheet	Components built from your variables and styles; you swap words and photos into copies of the template, one row at a time.	Getting Started with Figma
Figma Buzz	Buzz reads your sheet and fills one copy of the template per row (Bulk create).	How the Generator Works, Step 3
A generator you vibe-code with Gemini	You write the spec and the rules; Gemini writes a small web page or site (HTML, CSS and JavaScript) that builds pieces or pages from your data. You test and fix it.	Vibe Coding with Gemini
A scheduled social calendar	Your sheet becomes a posting calendar, and a free scheduler posts on the dates you set.	Scheduling Your Posts
InDesign Data Merge	An InDesign template with your book’s styles; Data Merge fills it from the sheet. Good for a brochure, annual report or event cards.	Adobe Help, Merge data
Your own approach	Anything that applies your rules to new content and that you can test, explain and repeat.	Ask in Discord

What every generator uses

• The look: the visual rules in your guidelines book (logo, color, type, layout, photo style).
• The words: the brand’s written side from your creative brief and Guidelines Book Plan and Brand Voice: audience, key messages, voice principles and tagline. Your client content agent writes the copy from these.
• The images: photos from your own image bank, or from a free stock photo site your system picks from. See Images for Your Generator.

Keep a process log

Make a Google Doc named “Generator Process Log.” Every time you test something, add a row: date; what I tried; what happened; what I learned; what I will try next. Your log is graded. A test that failed and taught you something counts as much as one that worked.

Every generator has the same parts, whatever approach you choose. You make all of them.

Part	What it is	Who makes it
Rules	Your brand rules from the guidelines book, rewritten so each one can be checked yes or no. Rules cover the look (logo, color, type, layout, photos) and the words (voice, length, key messages).	You. Gemini may help draft the wording; you test and decide every rule.
Templates or code	Figma components, an InDesign template, or code Gemini writes from your spec, all built from your book’s values	You design them. If you vibe-code, Gemini writes the code from your spec.
Content	A Google Sheet: one row per piece, one column per changing part	Your client content agent drafts the words; you edit and approve every word.
Images	Real photos and video from your bank or a free stock site	You, or an agent that picks real photos from a free site. You check each one. No AI-made images.
The run	The tool fills one copy of the template per row	The machine. It applies your system; it does not design.
The check	A batch critique of every piece	You, with your brand checker agent

Step 1: Write rules a machine can follow

A rule like “keep it clean” cannot be checked. A rule like “the headline is 6 words or fewer” can. Write every rule with a measurable value. Examples:

• Headline: Headline/H1 style, 6 words or fewer, top third of the frame.
• Logo: Full color version on light backgrounds, Reversed on dark; bottom right; 96 pixels wide; clear space equal to the height of the x.
• Color pairs allowed: Navy text on Paper, White text on Navy. Never Accent text on Paper (fails contrast).
• Photos: one subject, natural light, subject on the left half so the text block sits on the right.
• Voice: plain, warm words; no exclamation points; say “sliding-scale fee,” never “cheap.”
• Copy: caption of one to three sentences; one call to action per piece; every launch post uses one of the key messages.
• Never: stretched logo, more than two typefaces, text over a busy part of a photo.

Check every allowed color pair with the WebAIM Contrast Checker before it goes in the rules.

Step 2: Put the rules into the spreadsheet

1. Make a Google Sheet for your content. Row 1 holds the column names. If you use Figma or Buzz, use the exact layer names from your template, such as Headline, Body, CTA and Photo. Add columns for Caption, Alt text, Image credit and License.
2. Each row after that is one piece.
3. Make the sheet enforce your rules. In a helper column, use =LEN(B2) to count the characters in a headline and highlight any that run long. Use Data, then Data validation, to give a column a dropdown (for example, Teaser, Launch, Sustain).
4. In the Photo column, put a shareable Google Drive link or a direct link to the image. Figma Buzz accepts both.
5. Make one tab per format, because each format has its own template.
6. To use the sheet in Buzz or Data Merge, download each tab: File, then Download, then Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) or Comma-separated values (.csv).

Step 3: Run it

Figma Buzz is Figma’s tool for making marketing pieces in batches. While it is in beta, Figma lists it as available on all plans.

7. Go to figma.com/buzz/new to start a Buzz file.
8. In your Figma Design file, select your template, copy it, and paste it into a Buzz asset. Check that the layer names came with it.
9. Open Bulk create from the left navigation and upload the tab file.
10. Select a text or image layer, then choose the column that fills it. Repeat for each changing layer.
11. Click Create assets. Buzz makes one piece per row. Switch to Grid view to see the whole batch.
12. Export the batch from the right panel as image files.

Guide: Bulk create assets in Figma Buzz. If photos from Drive links do not load (district sharing settings can block them), place those photos by hand in Grid view and note it. That is a generator flaw; put it in your batch critique.

Other approaches run the same way: a vibe-coded page reads its data list, and InDesign Data Merge fills one record per row. Do not use Buzz’s image generation or any Figma AI feature.

Step 4: Critique, revise, run again

This is the heart of the challenge. Score every piece in a batch critique sheet with these columns: Piece number; Rules broken (list them by name); What the brand checker said; Usable at a job without a designer fixing it (yes, fix, or no); What went wrong; Rule or template change.

Count the “yes” pieces. That is your usable rate. Then change the rules, the sheet, the template or the agent instructions, and run the batch again. Project 2 compares the first run and the second.

No Buzz access: in Figma Design, make copies of your template component and swap text and photos from the sheet row by row. It is slower, but the rules, the critique and the rerun work the same way.

An agent in this course is a Gemini skill with one job. It has standing instructions, the files it reads, and a goal. A prompt asks once; saved instructions plus files act the same way every time. Your agents do not run on their own. You start each one, and you check everything it gives you.

Make your agent plan

Every generator needs at least two agents: a client content agent and a brand checker. Add others only if your system needs them. Copy this table into your plan and fill one row per agent.

Agent	Role	What it reads	What it produces	What it must never do	How you check its work
Client content agent (required)	Plays the client or the client’s marketing team and writes the words	The client packet or your real client’s brief, your creative brief, the voice pages of your book, your key messages	Website copy, post copy and captions, or long text such as an annual report letter, in your sheet’s columns	Design anything; choose colors, fonts or images; make images; invent facts such as prices, dates, names, numbers or quotes	Check every fact against the packet; read it against your voice rules; edit every word; log it
Brand checker (required)	Checks each finished piece against your rules	Your rules document, your guidelines book PDF and your photo rules	A table of the rules each piece passes and breaks, by name, and whether each photo fits the photo rules	Redesign the piece; make images; pass a piece without naming the rule	Score every piece yourself too; note where you and the checker disagree, and who was right
Calendar planner (optional)	Plans post dates and phases for a social campaign	Your campaign goal, date range and posting rhythm	The Date, Time, Platform and Phase columns	Write the post copy (the content agent does that)	Check the dates against the calendar
Code helper (optional)	Writes HTML, CSS and JavaScript for a vibe-coded generator	Your spec and rules document	Page code	Add colors, fonts, images or effects that are not in your rules	Test at phone width, check contrast, click every link, run WAVE
Image scout (optional)	Picks real photos from one free stock site	Your photo rules and the license page of the site	Links to candidate photos, with photographer names	Make, edit or invent images or links	Open every link; check the license and that it is not AI-made; log it

Build each agent

1. Open Gemini and check that the top right corner shows your Maricopa account.
2. Create a new skill. A skill is Gemini’s name for saved instructions with files; it replaced Gems. Name it in lowercase with hyphens, for example desertdash-content. Guide: Write effective skills for Gemini Apps.
3. Paste the starter instructions below and fill every bracket.
4. Attach the files it reads.
5. Test it on one small task. If it breaks a rule, add a sentence to the instructions and test again. Log each test in your process log.
6. Copy the final instructions into a Google Doc named “AVC 283 Agent Instructions” in your course folder. Skills do not move with your files when you leave the college; this Doc lets you rebuild them (see Take Your Work With You).

If skills are not on your account (for example, you are under 18), use a saved-instructions chat. Keep the instructions in your Google Doc. Start a new Gemini chat, paste the instructions and attach the same files. It works the same way; you start it by hand each time.

Starter instructions: client content agent

Answer every [ASK CLIENT] yourself before you use the copy. With a client packet, post the question in Discord; your instructor answers as the client. With a real client, ask the client.

Starter instructions: brand checker

To check a piece, paste its row from the sheet and upload a screenshot of the finished piece.

Starter instructions: code helper (optional)

Your generator needs pictures. Use your own image bank, a free stock photo site, or both. Either way, every image is real, licensed and logged. AI may select real photos from a free site. It never makes or edits images.

Route 1: your own image bank

• At least 20 photos, plus 3 video clips of 5 to 15 seconds if your system uses motion.
• At least 5 of the photos are yours: you shot them with a phone or camera.
• Everything matches the imagery section of your guidelines book (subject, light, color, mood).

Route 2: a free stock photo site

1. Pick one free site from the table below and read its license.
2. Write five search terms from your book’s imagery section (subject, light, color, mood).
3. Search the site yourself, or ask your image scout agent for candidate links. Gemini can give wrong or broken links, so open every one.
4. Skip anything labeled AI-generated, anything that shows another business’s logo, and any use of a recognizable person that the license does not allow.
5. Download the photo, or copy its direct image link for Figma Buzz, and add a log row.
6. Your brand checker reviews every chosen photo against your photo rules.

Figma Community also has plugins that place photos from free sites into a frame. If you use one, check that it is free and log every photo the same way.

Where to find licensed images

Source	What the license allows	What to watch for
Unsplash	Free use, including for clients; credit is appreciated, not required	Do not sell unchanged copies or compile the photos into a competing photo service; Unsplash+ images are paid and marked
Pexels	Free photos and videos; credit not required	Do not show identifiable people in a bad light; do not imply that people or brands in the photo endorse the client; never use the image as part of a logo or trademark
Pixabay	Free use and changes; credit not required	No commercial use of images with recognizable logos or brands on products; take care with recognizable people; skip AI-generated images
Adobe Stock free collection	Free assets with a free Adobe account; cleared for commercial use	Use the filter that excludes generative AI; read the license on each asset’s page
The client packet	Images the client supplied	Use only for this client

Write your credits even when a site does not require them. A designer always knows where every image came from. Do not ask Gemini or any other tool to edit images or make new ones.

Your own shoot (Route 1)

1. Write a shot list before you shoot: a table with shot number, subject, framing (wide, medium or close), orientation (vertical or horizontal), and which piece it is for. Plan vertical shots for stories and the motion piece.
2. Shoot in good light, usually daylight from a window or outdoors in shade. Hold the phone steady or lean on something. Shoot each item vertical and horizontal.
3. For video, record 10 to 20 seconds of each shot so you can trim to the best 5 to 15. Keep the phone still or move slowly.
4. If a person can be recognized, get a signed release before you use the image: a form in which the person agrees to the use. A person under 18 needs a parent or guardian to sign. Use the release form in Canvas. If you cannot get a release, shoot hands, backs, silhouettes or objects instead. Background: Model release.
5. Do not shoot logos of other businesses as a main subject, and do not shoot on private property without permission.

Folders and the log

1. In your Maricopa Google Drive, make a folder named “AVC 283 Image Bank.” Inside it, make five folders: 01 Own Photos, 02 Licensed Photos, 03 Video, 04 Logo and Graphics, 05 Releases.
2. Name every file the same way: client, subject, orientation, number. For example: desertdash_trail-start_v_01.jpg (v for vertical, h for horizontal).
3. Make a Google Sheet named “Image Bank Log” in the same folder. Use these columns: File name; Source (own, Unsplash, Pexels, Pixabay, Adobe Stock, client); Creator (photographer); Link to the source page; License; Recognizable people (yes or no); Release on file (yes, no, not needed); Alt text; Orientation; Size in pixels; Used in.
4. Fill one row for every file the day you add it, including stock photos your system picked. A file with no row does not go in any design. Copy the source, creator and license into your content sheet’s Image credit and License columns.

Image specifications

• Print: 300 pixels per inch at the size the image prints. A photo printed 8 inches wide needs to be at least 2400 pixels wide.
• Social and screens: at least the size of the frame. A 1080 by 1920 story needs a photo at least 1080 by 1920 pixels.
• Formats: JPG for photos; PNG for graphics that need a transparent background; SVG for the logo in Figma; MP4 for video.
• Keep the original file. Crop and color-correct copies, never the original.

A scheduled campaign posts itself on the dates in your calendar. You can schedule for real, or hand in a calendar that is ready to schedule. Both earn full credit.

1. Make the content calendar in a Google Sheet, one row per post, with these columns: Post number; Date; Time; Platform; Phase; Format; Headline; Body; CTA (call to action); Caption; Hashtags; Image (Drive link or direct link); Image credit; License; Alt text; Status.
2. Pick the dates: three weeks to three months, at a steady rhythm (for example, three posts a week).
3. Choose how to schedule:
   • Meta Business Suite (free) for a Facebook Page and a connected Instagram account. Facebook posts can be scheduled up to about 29 days ahead, so schedule the first few weeks and keep the rest in the calendar.
   • Buffer, free plan: up to three channels and ten scheduled posts per channel at a time.
   • No public posting: set every row’s Status to “Ready to schedule” and hand in the calendar.
4. Only schedule to an account you own, or one the client has said yes to in writing. If you make a test page for a fictitious client, say in its bio that it is a class project, and remove it after grading.
5. When a post is scheduled, paste its alt text into the platform’s alt text field and set its Status to “Scheduled.”

Sizes: feed posts 1080 by 1350 pixels; stories 1080 by 1920 (keep text and the logo away from the top and bottom edges, where app buttons cover the screen); optional square posts 1080 by 1080. Platforms change their sizes, so check each platform’s help page before you export. Alt text for social posts describes what matters in one or two sentences and includes any words in the image.

Objectives

1. 12.1 Plan a brand generator with a target, specifications and inputs drawn from your brand guidelines book (Course Competency 1)
2. 12.2 Define the agents a generator needs, and write standing instructions that keep each agent within the brand rules and the client’s facts (Course Competency 3)
3. 12.4 Critique classmates’ generator plans and rules using the three-part critique format (Course Competency 6)

10 points, Process Work. This assignment measures Module Objectives 12.1, 12.2 and 12.4, which support Course Competencies 1, 3 and 6.

Overview

Part of Module 12: The Brand Generator: Challenge Brief, Rules and Agents. You set your own challenge and plan the agents you need.

Instructions

1. Read The Brand Generator Challenge. Choose your target: a brand website, a scheduled social media campaign, or your own idea. For your own idea, post it in Discord by Tuesday at noon for approval.
2. Write a one-page challenge brief: what the generator makes; who sees it and where; the size (number of pages or posts, the date range, the formats); and how it will be published or scheduled.
3. List your inputs: the book pages your rules come from (logo, color, type, imagery), the written side (audience, key messages, voice principles, tagline), and your image route (your own bank, a free stock site, or both).
4. Name the two approaches you plan to prototype first, from the “Ways to build it” table, and say why each might work.
5. Fill the agent plan table from Planning Your Agents: at least the client content agent and the brand checker, with all six columns. Add other agents only if your system needs them.
6. Start your Generator Process Log with one row: what you expect to be hardest.
7. Post the brief and the agent plan in Discord.

AI use: Use Gemini only with your Maricopa account. Gemini may ask you questions about your plan or point out gaps; the brief and the agent plan are yours.

• Critique: comment on three classmates’ posts in the critique format by the due time.
• Submit in Canvas: your files, your process evidence (sketches, construction files or screenshots), your AI-use log rows, and links to your three critique comments.
• Follow the accessibility rules.

Rubric

Criterion	Evaluates	Points
Challenge brief names the target, audience, size and publishing or scheduling plan	Objective 12.1	3
Inputs tied to named book pages, the brand’s written side and an image route; two approaches named with reasons	Objective 12.1	2
Agent plan: the two required agents with all six columns, plus any others the system needs	Objective 12.2	2
Three critique comments in the critique format	Objective 12.4	2
AI-use log and process log started	Objective 12.2	1
Total		10

Objectives

1. 12.2 Define the agents a generator needs, and write standing instructions that keep each agent within the brand rules and the client’s facts (Course Competency 3)
2. 12.3 Write brand rules that a machine can follow, for both visual and written elements (Course Competency 1)
3. 12.4 Critique classmates’ generator plans and rules using the three-part critique format (Course Competency 6)

10 points, Process Work. This assignment measures Module Objectives 12.2, 12.3 and 12.4, which support Course Competencies 1, 3 and 6.

Overview

Part of Module 12: The Brand Generator: Challenge Brief, Rules and Agents. You write the rules, build your two agents, and get the content for your first tests.

Instructions

1. Write version 1 of your rules document by following Step 1 of How the Generator Works. Include rules for the look and for the words. Every rule has a measurable value and can be checked yes or no. Include the contrast result for every color pair.
2. Build your client content agent as a Gemini skill (or a saved-instructions chat) from the starter instructions in Planning Your Agents. Attach the client packet or your real client’s brief, your creative brief and your voice pages.
3. Make your content sheet (Step 2 of How the Generator Works). Have the content agent write the copy for at least 5 pieces: posts, page sections, or the long text for your own idea.
4. Edit every word. Check every fact against the client packet. Answer every [ASK CLIENT] before you use the copy. In your AI-use log, say what you kept and what you changed.
5. Build your brand checker agent with your rules document and your book attached. Test it on two of your rows and note one thing it missed.
6. Set up your images by following Images for Your Generator: at least 10 images logged, enough for your first tests.
7. Copy each agent’s final instructions into your “AVC 283 Agent Instructions” Doc. Add your tests to the process log.

AI use: Use Gemini only with your Maricopa account. The content agent writes copy from your files; the checker checks against your rules. Neither designs anything or makes images.

Accessibility: The rules include contrast results for every color pair; the sheet has an Alt text column, filled for every row with an image.

Authorship evidence: Your rules document, your edits to the agent’s copy and your instructions Doc show your thinking.

• Critique: comment on three classmates’ posts in the critique format by the due time.
• Submit in Canvas: your files, your process evidence (sketches, construction files or screenshots), your AI-use log rows, and links to your three critique comments.
• Follow the accessibility rules.

Rubric

Criterion	Evaluates	Points
Rules document version 1: rules for the look and the words, each measurable and checkable	Objective 12.3	3
Content agent built; copy for at least 5 pieces in the sheet, every fact checked and every [ASK CLIENT] answered	Objective 12.2	2
Brand checker built and tested, with one miss noted; instructions Doc saved	Objective 12.2	2
Three critique comments in the critique format	Objective 12.4	2
AI-use log with kept and changed copy; images logged	Objective 12.2	1
Total		10

Figma is a design tool that runs in a web browser (or as a desktop app). Designers use it for screens, websites, social posts and design systems, and teams work in the same file at once. If you choose a Figma or Figma Buzz approach, you build your brand as a set of reusable parts, then turn those parts into a generator.

Three words you will see a lot:

• Frame: a box that holds a design, like an artboard in Illustrator. Each post or screen is one frame.
• Layer: each thing inside a frame (a text box, a photo, the logo). The Layers panel lists them.
• Component: a reusable part. Change the main component and every copy of it updates.

You already know frames, text and images from the Figma Warm-Up in Module 3. Start at step 1; steps 3 to 5 are quick review, and the new skills start at step 6.

Part 1: Check your account

1. Sign in at figma.com with the Maricopa account you made in the warm-up. Education status lasts for a set term. If Figma asks you to reapply, follow Verify your education status. If you have education status, create an education team named “AVC 283 your name.”

If you are on the free Starter plan (for example, you are under 18 or verification failed), Starter allows three files in your team and does not publish libraries (Figma plans and features). That is enough for the brand generator: build your whole system and your templates in one file, and skip the “publish the library” step. Tell your instructor through Canvas Inbox so the rubric is applied the same way.

Part 2: Start your brand file

2. Create a new Design file. Name it “Client name Brand System.”

Part 3: Make your first template frame

3. Press F for the Frame tool. In the right sidebar, type 1080 for W (width) and 1350 for H (height). This is one feed post. Rename the frame “Feed post.” For a website, make the frame 1440 wide instead, and a second one 390 wide for phones. Name every layer you make; the generator finds layers by name.
4. Press R and drag a rectangle across the top half of the frame. Rename it “Photo.” Drag a photo from your image bank, or a stock photo you logged, onto the rectangle to fill it. The photo becomes the rectangle’s fill, so it stays inside the shape.
5. Press T, click under the photo and type a headline. Rename the layer “Headline.” Add a second text layer named “Body.”
6. Bring in your logo. In Illustrator, choose File, Export, Export As, and save the logo as SVG. Drag the SVG file into Figma and place it in the frame. Rename it “Logo.”
7. If your brand typeface is not in Figma’s font list, install the Figma desktop app, which can use fonts installed on your computer. If it still does not appear, use the closest Google Font and write the swap into your rules.

Part 4: Build the brand system

Now turn your guidelines book into parts Figma can reuse. Keep your book open beside you and copy values exactly.

8. Color variables. A variable is a named value you can reuse, like “Brand Navy = #1D2B4F.” Click an empty spot on the canvas so nothing is selected. In the right sidebar, open Variables (under Local variables). Create a collection named “Brand.” Add one color variable for each color in your book, named the way your book names them (for example, color/primary, color/accent, color/paper). Type the HEX value from the book. Guide: Guide to variables in Figma.
9. Number variables. In the same collection, add number variables for spacing from your grid (for example, space/margin = 64, space/gap = 24).
10. Text styles. Select your headline. Set the font, size, line height and letter spacing from your book. In the Typography section of the right sidebar, click the styles icon, then the plus sign, and name the style (for example, Headline/H1). Repeat for each level in your book’s hierarchy: H1, H2, body, caption, button. Guide: Guide to styles in Figma.
11. Apply variables. Select each layer and change its fill to a variable instead of a typed color: click the fill, open the libraries icon, and pick the variable. From now on, if a color changes, it changes everywhere.
12. Logo component. Select the logo and press Command, Option and K (Mac) or Control, Alt and K (Windows) to make it a component. Duplicate it twice. Make one reversed (white) and one single color. Make each a component, select all three, and click Combine as variants in the right sidebar. Name the property “Version” with the values Full color, Reversed and One color. Guides: Guide to components and Create and use variants.
13. Auto layout. Select the Headline and Body layers and press Shift and A. Auto layout stacks layers and spaces them by rule, so a longer headline pushes the body down instead of overlapping it. Set the gap and padding with your number variables. Rename the group “Text block.” Guide: Guide to auto layout.
14. Template component. Select the whole Feed post frame and make it a component. Build the other sizes you need (1080 by 1920 and 1080 by 1080) the same way, reusing the logo component, the text styles and the variables.
15. Write the rules into the parts. Select each component and type its rules into the description field (for example, “Logo: bottom right, 96 pixels wide, clear space all around equal to the height of the x”). Anyone who uses the part sees the rule. Guide: Add descriptions to styles, components, and variables.
16. Publish the library (education plan only). Open the Assets tab in the left sidebar, open the library settings, and publish. Your components, styles and variables can now be used in other files, including Figma Buzz. Guide: Publish a library.

If you get stuck: post a screenshot in the AVC 283 Discord channel with the step number. Screen-reader users: Figma’s canvas is hard to use with a screen reader. Send a Canvas Inbox message in Week 13. Vibe coding with Gemini or InDesign Data Merge are good approaches for you, and your instructor will help set one up.

“Vibe coding” means you describe what you want in plain words, and the AI writes the code. You stay the designer: you write the spec and the rules, Gemini writes the code, and you test and fix it. Use your Maricopa account.

1. Write a one-page spec in a Google Doc: what the generator makes; the pages or piece sizes; the sections; and your brand rules as exact values (HEX colors, Google Fonts names, type sizes, spacing, the logo as an SVG file, and image links).
2. Build the code helper agent from Planning Your Agents, with your spec and rules document attached.
3. Ask it for one page, or one piece, first. Gemini shows the result in a Canvas panel beside the chat.
4. Test it: check it at phone width, check every color pair with the WebAIM Contrast Checker, and click every link. Write each problem in your process log.
5. Tell Gemini one fix at a time, in plain words, for example: “The headline must use 48 pixels, Lora, color #1D2B4F.” Keep a short change log.
6. Ask Gemini to build the repeating part from a data list at the top of the code. Paste rows from your sheet into the list. Adding a row should add a card, a post or a page section.
7. To publish a website: from the Gemini Canvas panel, choose Export, then Google Sites, as in From Gemini to a Web Page. Or, in Google Sites, choose Insert, then Embed, then Embed code, and paste the code (Google Sites Help). Publish as Restricted and add your instructor’s email.
8. Check each published page with the WAVE browser extension.

Gemini can write code that looks right and still breaks. Test everything, and keep every version of your spec so you can explain your choices.

Objectives

1. 13.1 Prototype at least two approaches to a brand generator on a small test batch, and record what worked (Course Competency 3)
2. 13.2 Choose a direction for your generator, with a rationale based on your test results (Course Competency 6)
3. 13.3 Critique classmates’ prototypes using the three-part critique format (Course Competency 6)

10 points, Process Work. This assignment measures Module Objectives 13.1, 13.2 and 13.3, which support Course Competencies 3 and 6.

Overview

Part of Module 13: The Brand Generator: Prototype and Test. Quick and rough is the point. You are testing ideas, not polishing.

Instructions

1. Pick at least two approaches from the “Ways to build it” table in The Brand Generator Challenge, or your own. Use the guides as help, not as required steps.
2. For each approach, build the smallest version that works: one template or one page, your brand values, and your content sheet.
3. Run each one on the same test batch of 3 to 5 rows from your sheet. Export or screenshot every piece.
4. Run the test pieces past your brand checker, and score them yourself against your rules.
5. Log each test in your process log: what you tried, what happened, what broke, and how long it took.
6. Choose one direction. In 150 words, explain why, citing your test results (for example, rules broken, time per piece, how easy it is to add a row, how well it handles long text).
7. Post both test batches side by side, and your choice, in Discord.

AI use: Use Gemini only with your Maricopa account. Gemini may write code from your spec and draft rules wording; you test and decide. No Figma AI features, no Buzz image generation, no AI images.

Accessibility: Every color pair in your test pieces passes the contrast check; the Alt text column is filled for every test row.

Authorship evidence: Screenshots of your Figma variables, styles and named layers, or your spec and change log, plus your process log, show how you built and judged each prototype.

• Critique: comment on three classmates’ posts in the critique format by the due time.
• Submit in Canvas: your files, your process evidence (sketches, construction files or screenshots), your AI-use log rows, and links to your three critique comments.
• Follow the accessibility rules.

Rubric

Criterion	Evaluates	Points
Two approaches, each run on the same test batch of 3 to 5 pieces from the sheet	Objective 13.1	3
Process log entries for each test: what was tried, what happened and what broke	Objective 13.1	2
Direction chosen, with a rationale that cites the test results	Objective 13.2	2
Three critique comments in the critique format	Objective 13.3	2
AI-use log and alt text	Objective 13.1	1
Total		10

Objectives

1. 14.1 Build out your chosen generator from reusable parts, so it applies your rules to content from a spreadsheet (Course Competency 3)
2. 14.3 Evaluate generated pieces against your brand rules and a professional standard, and revise the rules to improve the next batch (Course Competency 6)

10 points, Process Work. This assignment measures Module Objectives 14.1 and 14.3, which support Course Competencies 3 and 6.

Overview

Part of Module 14: The Brand Generator: Build, Run and Revise.

Instructions

1. Build out the direction you chose in Prototypes and Direction. Use your book’s values exactly, reusable parts (components, a template, or code with a data list), and names that match your sheet’s columns.
2. Fill the content sheet for the full set with your client content agent, and edit every word.
3. Run the full first batch: every post in your calendar (at least 12), every page and card of your site, or the full set for your own idea.
4. Give each piece to your brand checker: paste the row and upload a screenshot. Save its table.
5. Score every piece yourself in a batch critique sheet (Step 4 of How the Generator Works). Where you and the checker disagree, write who was right and why.
6. Count the pieces marked “yes.” That is your usable rate.
7. Post a screenshot of the whole batch and three pieces you flagged in Discord.

AI use: Use Gemini only with your Maricopa account, as in Brand Rules and Client Content and Prototypes and Direction. No Figma AI features and no AI images.

Accessibility: Alt text for every piece; every color pair passes the contrast check.

Authorship evidence: Your system screenshots, your scored critique sheet and the checker’s table side by side.

• Critique: comment on three classmates’ posts in the critique format by the due time.
• Submit in Canvas: your files, your process evidence (sketches, construction files or screenshots), your AI-use log rows, and links to your three critique comments.
• Follow the accessibility rules.

Rubric

Criterion	Evaluates	Points
System built out from reusable parts and matches the book exactly: colors, type, spacing and logo	Objective 14.1	3
Full first batch generated from the sheet	Objective 14.1	1
Checker table and your own score for every piece, with rules named, disagreements explained and the usable rate	Objective 14.3	3
Three critique comments in the critique format	Objective 14.3	2
AI-use log and alt text	Objective 14.1	1
Total		10

Objectives

1. 12.1 Plan a brand generator with a target, specifications and inputs drawn from your brand guidelines book (Course Competency 1)
2. 14.1 Build out your chosen generator from reusable parts, so it applies your rules to content from a spreadsheet (Course Competency 3)
3. 14.2 Produce a finished set of branded digital pieces to platform specifications (Course Competency 4)
4. 14.3 Evaluate generated pieces against your brand rules and a professional standard, and revise the rules to improve the next batch (Course Competency 6)

30 points, Projects. This assignment measures Module Objectives 12.1, 14.1, 14.2 and 14.3, which support Course Competencies 1, 3, 4 and 6.

This project shows evidence of these course competencies:

• 1. Develop visual identity systems through logo design and brand applications
• 3. Use advanced digital design and publishing tools for complex layouts, styles, and document organization
• 4. Produce professional graphic design materials for print and digital applications
• 6. Evaluate graphic design projects for visual effectiveness, accessibility, technical quality, and portfolio presentation

Overview

Part of Module 14: The Brand Generator: Build, Run and Revise. You fix the rules, run the generator again, finish the set, and show how your system works. Your tests and decisions count as much as the finished pieces.

Instructions

1. Revise your rules document to version 2 based on your Build and First Batch critique and classmates’ comments. Mark every change and say which failed pieces it fixes. Update your agents’ instructions if they caused a failure.
2. Update the templates, code or sheet, and run the full batch again.
3. Score the second batch with the checker and in a new critique sheet. Report the usable rate for both runs.
4. Finish the final set. You may hand-correct a generated piece, but mark it and name the rule that would have prevented the fix.
   • Website: publish it (Restricted, with your instructor added) and check every page with WAVE.
   • Social campaign: export the final posts, and schedule them or set the calendar to “Ready to schedule,” as in Scheduling Your Posts.
   • Your own idea: export the final set in the formats you were approved for.
5. Record a demo video of 2 to 3 minutes: show your rules, your agents, the sheet, one run and one fix. Correct the captions by hand.
6. Finish your process log, from the first prototype to the second run.
7. Write a 200-word reflection: what the agents did, what you did, which pieces a business could use today without a designer fixing them, and what you would test next.
8. Add a Brand Generator section to your Final Project Part B case study.

Submit the links and files, rules versions 1 and 2, your Agent Instructions Doc, the sheet, the image log, the process log, both critique sheets and both checker tables.

AI use: Use Gemini only with your Maricopa account. Name every agent-written line you kept in your AI-use log. No Figma AI features and no AI images.

Accessibility: Alt text for every piece; captions corrected by hand on the demo video and any motion piece; no flashing more than three times a second (WCAG, Three Flashes or Below Threshold); every color pair checked for contrast.

Authorship evidence: Your prototypes, two scored batches, the rule changes between them, and a process log and reflection that cite piece numbers. A generated set with no tests, rules history or critique cannot earn the evaluation points.

• Critique: comment on three classmates’ posts in the critique format by the due time.
• Submit in Canvas: your files, your process evidence (sketches, construction files or screenshots), your AI-use log rows, and links to your three critique comments.
• Follow the accessibility rules.

Rubric

Criterion	Evaluates	Points
Competency 1: the final pieces read as one brand and follow your challenge brief and your book	Objective 12.1	6
Competency 3: the generator, built from reusable parts, makes the set from the sheet	Objective 14.1	5
Competency 4: final set finished to platform specifications; site published or calendar ready to schedule	Objective 14.2	5
Competency 6: the process: prototypes and rationale, both batches scored, rules revised with reasons, usable rates compared, process log and reflection cite pieces	Objective 14.3	8
Demo video explains the system in plain words	Objective 14.3	2
Three critique comments in the critique format	Objective 14.3	2
Accessibility: alt text, hand-corrected captions, safe motion and contrast	Objective 14.2	2
Total		30

You can turn something you make in Gemini into a real web page, with no code. You publish your Final Project Part B case study on Google Sites the same way.

Part 1: Make the App

1. Open your web browser (Chrome works best).
2. Go to gemini.google.com.
3. Look at the top right corner. Make sure it shows your Maricopa account (your MEID@maricopa.edu). If it shows a personal account, click the picture and switch to your Maricopa account.
4. Click in the box at the bottom that says “Ask Gemini.”
5. Type this, then press Enter: “Make an interactive quiz with 5 questions about brand identity design. Make it a working app I can click.”
6. Wait. Gemini builds the app in a panel on the right side of the screen.
7. Click through your quiz to make sure it works.
8. If something is wrong, type what to fix in the box (for example, “Make the buttons bigger”) and press Enter.

Part 2: Send It to Google Sites

9. Look at the top of the app panel for the Export button. Click Export.
10. Click Google Sites.
11. A new tab opens with a Google Sites draft. Your app is already on the page. This draft is private; only you can see it.
12. Click the title at the top of the page and type a name for your page.
13. Click below the app and type one sentence about what your app does.

Part 3: Publish and Share

14. Click the blue Publish button in the top right corner.
15. Type a short web address for your site (for example, your-name-quiz). Click Publish.
16. Click Share. Next to Published site, choose Restricted, so only people you add can see it. Add your instructor’s email.
17. Click the arrow next to Publish and click Copy published site link.
18. Go to the AVC 283 Discord channel. Paste the link with a screenshot of the page, and press Enter. Classmates you have not added see the screenshot.

If you get stuck: post a screenshot in the AVC 283 Discord channel with the step number. Screen-reader users: the Export menu and the Publish button are labeled buttons. If a step does not read clearly, post in Discord or send a Canvas Inbox message, and another way will be set up.

Good to know: your site follows the district’s sharing rules, so people outside Maricopa may not be able to open it. Gemini may build how the app works, but every design choice on your page is yours: words, colors and images. Source: Google Workspace Updates, Publish interactive apps from the Gemini app to Google Sites.

Objectives

1. 15.1 Select and organize the strongest work for a portfolio case study (Course Competency 6)
2. 15.2 Write and publish a design case study on Google Sites in professional prose (Course Competency 4)
3. 15.3 Present design decisions in a recorded presentation of three to five minutes (Course Competency 6)

30 points, Projects. This assignment measures Module Objectives 15.1, 15.2 and 15.3, which support Course Competencies 4 and 6.

This project shows evidence of these course competencies:

• 4. Produce professional graphic design materials for print and digital applications
• 6. Evaluate graphic design projects for visual effectiveness, accessibility, technical quality, and portfolio presentation

Overview

Part of Module 15: Portfolio Case Study and Presentation.

Instructions

1. Publish the case study on Google Sites with your Maricopa account. Include: the problem; your process (sketches, construction files and critique notes); the solution; the outcome; your role; and a true statement of how AI was used. Gemini may edit for length, but the story and facts are yours.
2. Add a Brand Generator section: what you set out to make, the approaches you tested, the direction you chose and why, both batches with usable rates, and your demo video.
3. Record a three to five minute presentation that explains your decisions in plain words. Correct the captions by hand.
4. Publish the site as Restricted and add your instructor’s email. Post the case study link, a screenshot and the presentation for critique.

Who can see it: Restricted is the default. You may switch to Public whenever you choose. If you see an option for Maricopa, it limits viewing to people with Maricopa accounts. If you make the site public, you can tick “Request public search engines to not display my site” in Publish settings. Google says this is a request, not a guarantee (Publish and share your site).

Your portfolio: the case study is your portfolio piece for this course. Add it, and one other finished project if you like, to your portfolio site in Google Sites. Already have a Behance portfolio from another class? You may use it instead.

• Critique: comment on three classmates’ posts in the critique format by the due time.
• Submit in Canvas: your files, your process evidence (sketches, construction files or screenshots), your AI-use log rows, and links to your three critique comments.
• Follow the accessibility rules.

Rubric

Criterion	Evaluates	Points
Competency 6: selection and order a hiring manager can scan in a minute	Objective 15.1	6
Competency 4: case study writing in professional prose with an accurate AI statement	Objective 15.2	7
Competency 4: published page layout, image quality and type	Objective 15.2	5
Competency 6: recorded presentation explains decisions	Objective 15.3	7
Three critique comments in the critique format	Objective 15.1	2
Accessibility: captions corrected by hand, alt text, page headings in order	Objective 15.2	3
Total		30

Objectives

1. 15.4 Evaluate your own work for visual effectiveness, accessibility, technical quality and portfolio presentation, citing specific evidence (Course Competency 6)

10 points, Exercises. This assignment measures Module Objective 15.4, which supports Course Competency 6.

Overview

Part of Module 15: Portfolio Case Study and Presentation.

Instructions

1. Revise your Part A files based on instructor feedback. Include a list of changes.
2. Write a self-evaluation of 250 to 300 words. Judge your work on visual effectiveness, accessibility, technical quality and portfolio presentation. Cite specific page numbers in your book and at least two findings from your Acrobat reports.
3. Submit your full AI-use log with a 100-word reflection on what AI helped with and what it did not.

• Include your AI-use log rows. “No AI used” is a complete entry.
• Follow the accessibility rules.

Rubric

Criterion	Evaluates	Points
Revisions address every instructor note or give a reason	Objective 15.4	4
Self-evaluation cites page numbers and your Acrobat findings	Objective 15.4	4
Consolidated log and reflection	Objective 15.4	2
Total		10

Ungraded. Before the course ends.

Your Maricopa Google account may close after you leave the college. Do this before the course ends, so you keep everything you made even if you stop out, transfer or graduate. It takes about 45 minutes.

1. Save your files in one place. Make one Google Drive folder for this course. Put in it your InDesign guidelines book and its package, Illustrator and Photoshop files, your generator files (Figma files, code, sheets and process log), exported PDFs and images, the Acrobat reports and your presentation and your AI-use log. For each Figma file, choose File, then Save local copy, to download a .fig copy.
2. Copy everything to a personal Google account. Make a personal Google account if you do not have one. First make your own copy (File, then Make a copy) of any file someone shared with you, because files you do not own are not copied. Then, signed in to your Maricopa account, open Google Takeout Transfer and copy your Drive and Gmail to your personal account (see Google’s help page). It can take up to a week, and the copies arrive unshared. If Transfer is not available on your account, use Google Takeout to download your Drive as .zip files and save them on your computer.
3. Take your AI work with you. Save anything you made with Gemini: your Agent Instructions Doc, the prompts from your AI-use log, the case-study edits Gemini suggested, and the code of any Gemini Canvas app. The instructions and source files are what rebuild it, so keep each one’s instructions in a Google Doc and its sources in your course folder. To keep your chats, use Google Takeout: choose My Activity, then Gemini Apps. After you leave, rebuild it in Gemini with your personal account: make a new one, paste the instructions and upload the sources.
   • Know the privacy difference. Your Maricopa account keeps your Gemini work out of AI training (see Module 0). A personal account does not have the same protections, and Google may use your activity to improve its AI, depending on your settings. In your personal account, open Gemini, then Settings & help, then Activity (Gemini Apps Activity), and decide whether to turn off Keep Activity. Never put anyone else’s private information into a personal account.
4. Move your Google Site. Takeout Transfer copies Drive, Gmail and Photos. Do not count on it to move your case-study site. First keep the content: put the site’s text in a Google Doc and its images in your course folder, then open each published page and save it as a PDF (File, then Print, then Save as PDF). Then try a direct copy: in the site editor, choose Share and add your personal email as an editor. Sign in with your personal account, open the site, and choose More (the three dots), then Make a copy. If sharing outside Maricopa is blocked, rebuild the site in your personal account at sites.google.com with the same content and publish it again. The web address changes, so update it on your resume and profiles.
5. Protect your artwork online. No website can fully stop AI companies from copying public images. These steps make it harder and show the work is yours:
   • Post screen-size images, not your full-size print files.
   • Add your name and a copyright line (© Your Name) to the description or the image.
   • In Adobe apps or Adobe Content Authenticity, attach Content Credentials and choose “I request that generative AI models not train on or use my content.” It is a request, not a lock: Adobe Firefly honors it, and other AI companies may not (see Adobe’s help page).
   • Optional: Glaze, a free tool from a University of Chicago research team, adds hidden changes that make it harder for AI to copy your style. It works best on detailed artwork and is not a guarantee.
   • Keep your full-size master files private in your Drive folder. Your portfolio site shows only screen-size images and stays Restricted until you choose to make it public.