1 - Introduction ~5 mins
Warm-up
Think of the last time a form, poster, or message made you scroll, squint, or give up. What exactly got in your way: tiny type, no headings, clutter, or the important bit buried halfway down?
Welcome
A document can look polished and still fail its reader. Today you judge layout the way a real recipient would: who is this for, what will they do with it, and does the page help or get in the way?
You will need one finished sm1 document from {{code:Project_Portfolio/09_specialism/sm1}}. No finished page yet? Your teacher has a GAA blitz price list sample for you.
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Evaluate whether layout helps or hinders the intended audience and use
- Give structured peer feedback on audience fit
- Record one layout change made as a result of evaluation
2 - Key Concepts ~7 mins
Audience-driven layout starts with the reader, not the designer. Read the four ideas below, then look at today's full checklist.
| Concept | Why it matters | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Intended audience — the specific person or group who will actually use the document | Design for a real role, not "anyone" | A Work Experience supervisor scanning a one-page log needs names, dates, and hours first |
| Intended use — what the reader will do (approve, compare, decide, file, share) | Use drives what sits where on the page | A Centra stocktake sheet is used to tick quantities quickly, so dense paragraphs would slow the job |
| Audience fit — whether layout helps that reader complete that use | Stylish pages that hide the key fact still fail | A club proposal should put cost and ask near the top, not after three pages of background |
| Structured peer feedback — short comments tied to audience and use, not taste | Usable feedback names a reader and a layout feature | "Your Intreo advisor needs the appointment time in the first heading; it is currently in paragraph three." |
Today's full Audience-Fit Checklist (six questions)
Your teacher will walk all six on screen. You will answer all six in Independent Practice. Sample answers below match three rows your teacher will model.
- Who is the intended audience?
- What will they do with this document?
- Can they find the most important information quickly?
- Does the layout match how they will use it?
- What one change would help most?
- Change applied? (what you changed on your own file, and who it helps)
Worked sample answers (three rows)
Sample document: one-page small-enterprise price list for parents at a local GAA underage blitz (Something Real: side-hustle snack stall).
| Checklist question | Sample answer |
|---|---|
| Who is the intended audience? | Parents buying snacks at the blitz; busy, standing, phone in one hand |
| What will they do with this document? | Scan prices in under ten seconds and decide what to buy |
| What one change would help most? | Move the price table to the top under a clear heading; cut the intro to two lines |
Pair work uses the full six-question checklist on a real portfolio document (or the class sample), then you apply one layout change that better serves the audience.
3 - Audience Fit: Where Do You Stand? ~12 mins
As a class, place markers on the opinion line on the classroom screen for each statement about layout and audience. A few volunteers (or one marker per pair) move the markers; this is not one marker per student device. There is no single correct position. Be ready to justify your place with a real document example (coursework, Work Experience, or your Something Real project).
Your teacher will reveal the "Things to think about" prompts after each statement so the class can hear both sides before anyone moves again.
Interactive activity
4 - Common Issues ~3 mins
Judging your own layout is awkward at first. Most people go blank or want to rebuild everything. Use the fixes below and stick to one change; that is a full win today.
Common Issues
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| I cannot name a specific audience for my document | Pick one real role tied to your Something Real project or coursework: supervisor, customer, club officer, teacher, Intreo advisor. Write that role at the top of the checklist before you judge the layout. |
| My partner only says "it looks grand" or "I don't like it" | Redirect them to the checklist. Ask: "What will the reader do in the first ten seconds?" and "Where is the key fact on the page?" Feedback must cite a layout feature. |
| I want to redesign the whole document | Apply one change only today. Choose the single fix that most helps the audience complete the intended use. Save the updated file; further polish can wait. |
5 - Guided Practice: One Checklist Row Together ~3 mins
Before you work with a partner, complete one checklist row together as a class on the sample GAA blitz price list below (your teacher will also project this page).
Sample document: GAA underage blitz snack price list
BLITZ SNACKS — Saturday Under-12 Blitz
Welcome parents and guardians! We are so glad you are here supporting the underage blitz today. Our stall is run by local students as a small enterprise project. Please take a moment to read about our story, our ingredients, and how every euro of profit goes straight back into club kit and pitch maintenance. We source rolls from a local bakery, use Fairtrade tea and coffee where we can, and we always try to keep queues moving so you can get back to the sideline. If you have allergies, please ask at the stall before you order. Cash and contactless are both welcome. Thank you for supporting young people in our community — your custom really matters to us and to the club committee.
We also want to thank the coaches and volunteers who make blitz day possible. Without you there would be no sideline and no reason for a snack stall at all. Please share this sheet with other parents if the queue is long so everyone can see what is on offer.
Item list (prices also noted in the footnote for special deals):
- Tea
- Coffee
- Bottled water
- Sausage roll
- Chocolate bar
- Apple
*Combo deal for the budget-conscious: tea + sausage roll €3.50 (cheapest hot combo on the stall). Single prices: tea €2.00, coffee €2.50, water €1.50, sausage roll €2.50, chocolate €1.50, apple €1.00.
Layout problems built in on purpose: long intro before any prices; item names without prices in the main list; cheapest combo only in a tiny footnote; no clear heading above a price table.
As a class, answer this question with evidence from the page:
Can they find the most important information quickly?
Listen for answers that name a layout feature (heading position, table placement, buried footnote, long intro) rather than "yes" or "no" alone.
Your teacher will also pin short model stems for every checklist question before you start pair work, for example:
- Audience: "Busy parents standing at the sideline with a phone in one hand."
- Use: "They will scan prices in under ten seconds and decide what to buy."
- Find key info: "Partly: item names are visible, but prices sit in a tiny footnote under two long paragraphs."
- Layout match: "They need to compare prices standing up, so a scannable table fits; long paragraphs do not."
- One change: "Move a clear price table to the top; cut the intro to two lines."
- Change applied: "Yes: table promoted; intro shortened; helps parents decide faster."
You will use this same evidence style on every row of your own checklist next.
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