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What is a Grading Profile?

A Grading Profile is a named rubric template that tells the AI exactly how to evaluate student work. It contains a list of criteria — each with a name, a point value, and a description — that GradeBlaster uses when analyzing submissions.

Profiles are reusable. Build one for "Fashion Flats" and use it every semester. Build one for "Technical Specs" and use it across every course that requires them. The AI reads your criteria and applies them consistently to every student file it grades.

Visual vs. Technical Criteria

Each profile contains two types of criteria. Both are evaluated by the AI, but they target different aspects of the submission.

Creating a Profile

Profiles are created in the Profiles section (🎯) of the GradeBlaster sidebar.

1. Open GradeBlaster → click Profiles (🎯) in the sidebar
2. Click + New Profile
3. Enter a descriptive name — e.g., "Fashion Flats — Spring 2026"
4. Set the Total Points for the assignment (e.g., 100)
5. Add Visual Criteria — click + Add Criterion, fill in the name, point value, and description
6. Add Technical Criteria the same way
7. Optionally paste in the Assignment Description text — the AI uses this to check if submissions follow the brief
8. Click Save Profile

Your new profile is immediately available in the assignment dropdown when you start a Blast All or Step-by-Step grading run.

AI Profile Generation

Don't want to write criteria from scratch? Paste your assignment description and let the AI build the profile for you.

1. In the Profiles section, click Generate with AI

2. Paste in your assignment brief or description — the more detail, the better the output

3. Click Generate — the AI will produce a complete set of Visual and Technical criteria with suggested point values

4. Review the result — adjust any criteria names, descriptions, or point values to match your grading standards

5. Click Save Profile — it's ready to use immediately

Example Profile: Fashion Flats

Here's what a real Fashion Flats grading profile looks like. This one covers the most common criteria for a standard fashion illustration assignment.

Total possible deductions: 75 points. Students who meet all criteria score 100.

Writing Good Criteria

The quality of your grading is directly proportional to the quality of your criteria. Here's what separates criteria the AI grades consistently from ones that produce unpredictable results.

• ✅
  Be specific and measurable. "Garment is centered with at least 0.5 inch margin on all sides" is far better than "garment looks centered." The AI needs something it can definitively evaluate.
• ✅
  Describe what a failing submission looks like. If you write "No overlapping labels," the AI knows exactly what to dock points for. Positive-only descriptions leave edge cases ambiguous.
• ✅
  Keep each criterion focused on one thing. "Labels are placed correctly and the color is right and line weight is good" is three criteria jammed into one. Split them up — your grades will be more consistent and feedback more useful.
• ✅
  Weight criteria by importance. If missing a front view is a failing offense, give it 20 points. If slightly imperfect centering is minor, give it 5. The AI will deduct proportionally.
• ✅
  Use the Assignment Description field. Pasting the actual assignment brief lets the AI check if students followed the instructions — not just if their work looks good visually.
• ❌
  Avoid subjective language without context. "Looks professional" or "good quality" give the AI nothing to anchor to. Add what professional means: "Clean outlines, no jagged edges, consistent stroke width."

Managing Profiles