Assessment

📝 Design Brief Conference

Critical Thinking & Problem Solving Content Expertise Academic Mindset Effective Communication Collaboration Product Reflection Core Content Community Partners Essential Question Critique and Revision Submission Required Grading Required

Students meet in a brief teacher or mentor conference to test whether their defining moment, future goal, and challenge are specific enough to launch Origin Issue #1. After the conference, they revise their design brief and write one How Might We statement that will guide the upcoming storyboard and cover work. This serves as the phase checkpoint before students move into prototyping and refinement.

Plan day

Day 5

Duration

50 min

Grouping

Individual

Steps

7 steps

Lesson plan

7 steps · 50 min

#	What teachers do
1	Launch the checkpoint by naming the goal for the session, posting the conference questions, and having students place their current design brief, empathy map, and evidence board on their workspace for quick access. (5 min)
2	Guide students through a fast self-check in which they highlight the defining moment in one color, the future goal in another, and the challenge in a third, then jot one question they want answered during the conference. (7 min)
3	Model a concise conference using one sample brief, showing how to test whether the inciting incident is specific, the goal is believable, the challenge is concrete, and the story clearly moves beyond high school into Origin Issue #1. (6 min)
4	Run brief teacher, mentor, counselor, or partner conferences while the rest of the class completes a revision queue task: reread evidence, underline details from K–12 that still belong in the story, and cross out background details that distract from the next chapter. (15 min)
5	Have students immediately revise their design brief based on feedback by tightening the defining moment, sharpening the future goal, and making the challenge more specific and actionable. (8 min)
6	Ask students to write one focused How Might We statement that will guide the upcoming storyboard and cover work, then do a quick pair-share to test whether the statement is clear enough to design from. (5 min)
7	Close with a brief written exit reflection in which students name one insight from the conference, one revision they made, and one next move for prototyping their origin issue. (4 min)

Preparation (8 items)

Prepare a conference schedule that allows every student or pair to meet briefly with the facilitator, mentor, counselor, or designated partner during class.
Create and post 3 to 4 conference questions focused on the defining moment, future goal, challenge, and connection between past experiences and the next chapter.
Gather student design briefs, empathy maps, and evidence boards or ensure all digital files are open and accessible before class begins.
Prepare a short sample design brief to model how to revise an inciting incident, sharpen a goal, and specify a challenge.
Set up a simple revision checklist or note-catcher students can use during conferences to record feedback and next steps.
If community partners are participating, share the project purpose, conference questions, time limits, and feedback expectations in advance.
Prepare sentence stems for students who need support, such as 'My defining moment is...', 'My future goal is...', 'The challenge I need to show is...', and 'How might I...?'
Arrange the room so students can work independently while conferences happen, with a visible timer and clear rotation instructions.

Student-facing instructions

You will bring your current design brief, empathy map, and evidence board to this checkpoint. First, you will mark where your draft names a defining moment, a future goal, and a challenge. Then you will meet briefly with a teacher, mentor, counselor, or partner to explain your idea and listen for feedback about what is clear, believable, and specific enough to launch Origin Issue #1. During the conference, your task is to ask at least one clarifying question and record notes. After the conference, you will revise your design brief so the inciting incident is sharper, the goal is more realistic and focused, and the challenge is more concrete. Finally, you will write one How Might We statement that can guide your storyboard and comic cover design. You will need your draft materials, something to write with, and your revision note-catcher. Your goal is to leave class with a revised design brief and one clear design question for the next phase.

Success criteria

You are done when you have: 1) participated in a brief conference and recorded at least two pieces of feedback; 2) revised your design brief so it clearly names one defining moment, one believable future goal, and one specific challenge beyond high school; 3) removed or clarified details that do not support your next chapter; 4) written one How Might We statement that directly connects to your origin issue storyboard and cover; and 5) completed a short reflection naming what changed and what you will prototype next.

Facilitator notes

Keep conferences short and focused; use a visible timer and aim for concrete feedback instead of broad encouragement. Prioritize questions like: 'What exactly happens that launches this story?', 'What is the next real-world goal?', and 'What obstacle creates tension in chapter one?' Common pitfall: students stay too general with goals such as 'be successful' or 'go to college'; push for specific versions such as a program, pathway, job direction, responsibility, or decision point. Another common pitfall is overloading the brief with backstory; redirect students to keep only the K–12 details that shape the next chapter. If time is tight, conference with half the class directly and use trained peer or partner conferences for the rest. For students who need support, provide sentence stems, a checklist, and option to speak ideas aloud before writing. For students ready for more challenge, ask them to connect their challenge to a community issue, family responsibility, financial reality, or identity shift that adds depth to the origin story. If community partners are present, remind them to test realism and specificity without taking over the student's authorship. End by checking that every student leaves with a usable How Might We statement, since that is the bridge into storyboard and cover prototyping.

Resources

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