For the observation records, I have:

• Completed Parts 1 and 3 on the form for each time I’ve been observed, and
• In Part 3, carefully considered the feedback received and responded to it with a growth mindset, and
• Sent a copy of the completed form back to my (peer) observer, Lee
• Completed Part 2 on the form for the session I observed, and
• Received the completed form back from my peer with their response
• Added each observation record to my blog here:

Feedback from Peer 1

Session/artefact to be observed/reviewed: Branding Lecture 

Size of student group:  40 plus online

Observer: Lee Mackinnon

Observee: Joanne Glover

Note: This record is solely for exchanging developmental feedback between colleagues. Its reflective aspect informs PgCert and Fellowship assessment, but it is not an official evaluation of teaching and is not intended for other internal or legal applications such as probation or disciplinary action.

Part One
Observee to complete in brief and send to observer prior to the observation or review:

What is the context of this session/artefact within the curriculum?

This is for the employability part of the AD Course

How long have you been working with this group and in what capacity?

It was a guest lecture

What are the intended or expected learning outcomes?

Learing more about building a portfolio applying for grad jobs and employability, improving hteir websites etc.

What are the anticipated outputs (anything students will make/do)?

Portfolio / website / showreel

Are there potential difficulties or specific areas of concern?

They may not have CV / Portfolio to build on 

How will students be informed of the observation/review?

It was a recording so n/a

What would you particularly like feedback on?

Making the lesson engaging

How will feedback be exchanged?

Via ROT form and email

Part Two

Observer to note down observations, suggestions and questions:

The lecture from Jo contains some very interesting insights into the world of art design for the arts and museum sector.

This included working for some leading organisations; working to briefs and curating a portfolio. There is certainly a sense of ‘bringing stories to life’ from history through art design practice.

Jo has an excellent capacity to encourage and inspire young designers to try different things and diversify their portfolio. From this learner’s perspective, Jo provides a great insight into all of the invisible labour that goes into creating an audience for a museum (NHM), or a blockbuster art show (Tate).

Jo has a wonderful sense of calm about her and the capacity to make things seem entirely possible. I can imagine that the students have gained much from her presentation, approachability and breadth of experience. She give great insights into connecting with professional organisations on social media and approaching people in order to network.

Slides of the main presentation were beautifully clean and well-designed.

There is some good emphasis on the fact that ‘the coolness’ of brands is down to art design.

When Jo was screening the showreels and speaking at the same time, it was impossible to hear her if watching online. The show reel is extremely professionally produced and impressive in terms of its scope. I think it might be helpful to allow the audience to watch the show reels and to speak about what they contain either before they start or after they have finished, not least because there is a lot of visual/ audio information for the viewer to take in, and as it is so well produced, there seems little need to distract from this, or compromise the broadcast quality by adding another layer of complexity to an already laden wifi/ collaborate connection?

Some really fascinating projects are discussed. The idea of ‘following the meridian line’ is an exciting one, but I have to admit that I had to look that up because I only had a very vague sense of what it was! Perhaps some introductory comments, or even asking the students whether they know what the meridian line refers to, may be helpful?

You might consider breaking up the presentation with student discussion? For example, asking students to give an idea of their own ideal work placement may be helpful in breaking the ice, helping them to feel more confident to participate in question sections.

Part Three

Observee to reflect on the observer’s comments and describe how they will act on the feedback exchanged:

Lee, thank you for your thoughtful observations and generous comments. Your feedback gave me a chance to pause and reflect, especially around the balance of content, delivery and accessibility. It’s encouraging to hear that the lecture came across as inspiring and calm, but also that it opened up conversations about the invisible labour behind major cultural institutions. I try to demystify the design industry for students, so your words affirmed that this is coming through in the right way.

I really appreciated your comments about bringing stories to life. Whether I’m talking about Tate, the NHM, or projects like ‘Queer British Art’ or ‘Age of Black Power’, what I’m ultimately trying to do is show how design gives voice to those stories, and helps connect people to them in powerful, personal ways. It’s not always visible from the outside, so when students start to understand how layered and collaborative this work is, I feel like they’re starting to ‘get it’ — that art direction isn’t just about making things look good, but about shaping meaning and experience.

Your note about the presentation slides being clean and well-designed made me smile, thank you! Visual clarity is important to me and I’ve spent years in retail and museum environments trying to balance visual appeal with information design. It’s great to hear that came across in the deck. I’ll continue to use that style but keep thinking about how the layout serves accessibility too, especially for neurodivergent students or those watching from different devices or screen sizes.

Your feedback about the showreel was really helpful. I can see how, for those watching online, speaking over it might have felt overwhelming or even inaudible. When you’re in the room, it’s easy to forget how different the experience is for online participants. Going forward, I’ll plan for moments like that differently. Rather than talking over showreels, I’ll either introduce them with context before playing, or let the video run uninterrupted and then speak afterwards. That way the audio-visual elements can breathe, and I’m not compromising the clarity of either. This also respects the production quality and gives students the space to absorb what they’re seeing and hearing.

I also take your point about the meridian line. It’s such a poetic and conceptually rich reference, but I realise now that it needs unpacking. What feels instinctive or familiar to me can be new territory for others. Next time, I’ll either offer a brief explanation or turn it into an interactive moment. Something as simple as asking: “Does anyone know what the meridian line is?” creates a shared space for curiosity, and a bit of grounding. It would have made a good starting point to explain why I used it as a theme for my RCA project, and what it meant in terms of global connection and movement.

The suggestion to break up the session with student discussion is one I’m definitely going to take forward. I’ve noticed that while students are usually engaged, some hesitate to speak up, especially in larger groups. Asking questions like “What’s your dream placement?” is such a good icebreaker. It’s personal, low-stakes, and connects directly to the aim of the session. I’ve used this approach before in one to ones and smaller groups, but hadn’t thought to integrate it so consciously into a talk. I think it could work well as a midpoint check in or even a warm-up activity before diving into heavier content. It would help students feel heard and also give me a quick idea of their interests, so I can tailor examples for them.