Explore the role you're in
Start by going to the section of the site with which you most identify most with (student, TF, or course head) and move through the menu on the left-hand side of the page. There's no "right" path through any of the sections—it's more like choosing from which point on a circle (kinds of assignments to elements of assignments to giving/getting feedback on assignments) you want to start.
A note on the layout of Gen Ed Writes: Each section has roughly the same structure, the differences being more about whether you're designing an assignment vs. teaching with it vs. doing it. These categories aren't mutually exclusive, of course, and they're not always static over the course of a given class. With that in mind, if you're a TF or TA, you might start with the overview at "Unpacking the Elements of Writing Prompts" in your section, and then head to the "Unpacking" overview in the course head and student sections.
Ideally, the structural parallelism across sections allows users to explore the life cycle of writing assignments along two different axes: Either chronologically from start to finish (from designing to teaching with, from handing out to giving feedback on, from starting to submitting and getting feedback on) or comparatively at a given moment or with respect to a specific feature (e.g., what the role of feedback looks like from the perspective of a TF or a student).
Get started with the assignment decoders
On the left-hand side of the pages in each section is an "assignment decoder" button that links to a Google Doc template tailored to that section. The decoders are a standalone diagnostic tool that can be used at any stage of an assignment. Their main goal is to help you assess where you're at—in the design, teaching, or writing process—and how to think about revising a prompt you're designing, focusing on certain skills you're teaching, or asking for help on something you're writing.
All of the decoders come with instructions, including bigger picture things to consider as well as a quick-start guide. For direct access to all of the decoders (and a template for drafting assignment prompts), head straight to the Decoders+ section of the site from the main menu.