AlabamaCreates Studio

Brand Orientation Assessment Rubric

Cohort 1 · Both Project Cycles

12 Weeks · 2 Project Cycles · Opens Sat Jul 25, 2026 · Closes Sat Oct 17, 2026

How This Rubric Works

This rubric is used by the orientation lead to assess each brand director at two checkpoints: end of Cycle 1 (Week 6, Sun Sep 6, 2026) and end of Cycle 2 (Week 12, Sun Oct 18, 2026). The same categories are evaluated each time. The standard rises between cycles.

Each category is scored on a four-level scale:

Level	Label	Meaning
1	Not Yet	Has not demonstrated this capability. Needs direct instruction.
2	Emerging	Shows early signs but inconsistent. Needs regular coaching.
3	Developing	Demonstrates capability with occasional gaps. Needs light guidance.
4	Independent	Demonstrates capability consistently without prompting. Ready to practice.

The goal is not for every brand director to reach Level 4 in every category by Week 12. The goal is visible, documentable progression from wherever they started. A director who moves from 1 to 3 across two cycles has demonstrated significant growth. A director who stays at 2 across both has not.

Category 1: Strategic Thinking

Can they define why a brand exists, who it serves, and what makes it different?

Level	Cycle 1 (End of Wk 6 · Sun Sep 6)	Cycle 2 (End of Wk 12 · Sun Oct 18)
1	Cannot answer the three strategy questions. Confuses positioning with taglines.	Still dependent on lead for strategic direction. No meaningful progression from Cycle 1.
2	Can answer the questions with coaching. Answers are vague or borrowed from the client's own language.	Positioning is adequate but not visually directional. Still occasionally vague.
3	Answers are defensible and grounded in discovery findings. Can explain why the positioning matters.	Positioning is specific, differentiated, and drives visual direction. Anticipates most questions.
4	Positioning is clear, specific, and directly informs all downstream decisions. Can defend it under pressure.	Anticipates every question. Defends positioning with evidence and conviction. Needs no coaching.

What to look for

Do they start with the three diagnostic questions or jump to visuals?
Can they distinguish between what the client says about themselves and what is actually true?
Is their positioning a statement someone could disagree with, or is it generic?

Category 2: Visual System Quality

Does the identity system serve the strategy, and does it hold together as a coherent system?

Level	Cycle 1 (End of Wk 6 · Sun Sep 6)	Cycle 2 (End of Wk 12 · Sun Oct 18)
1	Visual choices are arbitrary. Cannot explain why a color, typeface, or composition was chosen.	Visual work does not demonstrate growth from Cycle 1.
2	Some choices connect to strategy but the rationale is thin. System lacks coherence across applications.	System is competent but lacks the intentionality that distinguishes professional work.
3	Most choices are traceable to strategy. System shows coherence. Can apply visual first principles when prompted.	Strong system with clear rationale. Self-critiques effectively before presenting.
4	Every choice serves the strategy. System is coherent, intentional, and extends naturally. Applies all five visual first principles without prompting.	Work is portfolio-ready. Defends every decision. The system speaks for itself.

What to look for

Can they walk through hierarchy, contrast, repetition, alignment, and balance/tension in their own work?
Does the identity feel like a system or a collection of separate pieces?
Is every visual choice traceable to the strategy, or is anything decorative?

Category 3: Creative Process and Self-Direction

Do they follow the process, manage their own work, and improve without being told?

Level	Cycle 1 (End of Wk 6 · Sun Sep 6)	Cycle 2 (End of Wk 12 · Sun Oct 18)
1	Does not follow the six-phase arc (Discovery > Strategy Lock > Divergence > Convergence > Production > Delivery). Needs constant direction.	Cannot manage their own timeline or deliverables. No meaningful progression from Cycle 1.
2	Follows the process when guided. Needs reminders about sequencing (strategy before visuals).	Mostly self-directed but still looks to lead for validation on decisions they should own.
3	Follows the six-phase arc independently. Understands why strategy precedes visuals. Manages time within the cycle.	Fully self-directed. Sets and meets own standards. Seeks lead input for growth, not permission.
4	Process is internalized. Actively uses discovery to inform every downstream decision. Time management is strong.	Operates as an independent practitioner. The lead is advisory, not necessary.

What to look for

Do they start visuals before strategy is locked at the Friday QC review?
Are they managing their own timeline or waiting to be told what to do next?
By Cycle 2, are they asking the lead for direction or for feedback?

Category 4: AI Fluency

Are they directing AI tools to execute their vision, or curating output and hoping something works?

Level	Cycle 1 (End of Wk 6 · Sun Sep 6)	Cycle 2 (End of Wk 12 · Sun Oct 18)
1	Does not use AI tools, or uses them with generic prompts and accepts whatever comes back.	No meaningful progression from Cycle 1.
2	Uses AI tools but prompts are broad. Generates many options and picks the best one (curating).	Prompts are specific but not consistently vision-led.
3	Prompts reference specific strategic and visual decisions. Reaches vision in 2–3 iterations. Knows when to redirect.	Precise, iterative, vision-led prompting. Uses AI as a tool, not a creative partner.
4	Directs AI with the specificity of a creative brief. Output matches vision on first or second iteration. Knows what they are trying to say before touching any tool.	Full directorial control. Could teach someone else how to prompt for brand work.

What to look for

How many iterations does it take them to reach something they are satisfied with?
Can they describe what they want before they start prompting?
Are they selecting from AI output or directing AI toward a specific outcome?

Category 5: Client Communication and Presentation

Can they present work to a client, defend their decisions, and handle pushback?

Level	Cycle 1 (End of Wk 6 · Sun Sep 6)	Cycle 2 (End of Wk 12 · Sun Oct 18)
1	Cannot present work clearly. Does not connect deliverables to strategy in the presentation.	Presentation skills have not improved.
2	Presents work but reads from notes. Connects deliverables to strategy when prompted. Struggles with client questions.	Competent presenter but lacks conviction on difficult questions.
3	Presents clearly with strategy-to-visual connection. Handles most client questions with rationale.	Strong presenter. Leads the room. Defends decisions with evidence.
4	Commands the room. Every deliverable is framed in terms of what the client needs and why. Handles pushback with ease.	Could present to any client in any context. The program's proof of concept.

What to look for

Do they present the "what" or the "why"?
When the client pushes back, do they cave, defer, or defend with rationale?
By Cycle 2, does the presentation feel like a professional agency delivery?

Category 6: Studio Coordination & Integrated Delivery

Can the participant coordinate across tracks, keep the studio aligned, and contribute to one integrated delivery? (Shared dimension across all three disciplines.) Does the brand work connect to motion and interactive, or is it operating in isolation?

Level	Cycle 1 (End of Wk 6 · Sun Sep 6)	Cycle 2 (End of Wk 12 · Sun Oct 18)
1	No coordination with teammates. Brand work exists in isolation.	Team integration has not developed.
2	Shares finished work with teammates but does not coordinate during development.	Coordinates but does not drive integration.
3	Shares strategy early. Checks in with Motion and Interactive during development. Output feels connected.	Full integration. The team output feels like one vision, not three tracks.
4	Brand work is the strategic foundation the team builds on. Proactively ensures Motion and Interactive are aligned.	The team is indistinguishable from a professional creative team.

What to look for

Is the brand system informing motion and interactive work, or are they developing in parallel?
Does the brand director see themselves as the strategic anchor for the team?

Assessment Record Template

Director Name: ____________________

Category	Max	Cycle 1 (End Wk 6 · Sep 6)	Cycle 2 (End Wk 12 · Oct 18)
Strategic Thinking	/4
Visual System Quality	/4
Creative Process	/4
AI Fluency	/4
Client Communication	/4
Team Integration	/4
Total	/24

Narrative assessment (required at end of Cycle 2)

Where did this person start?
What changed?
What is their realistic 90–180 day path forward as a working creative?