Decide which program you want to use to design your rubric. If you are unsure where to begin, websites like Scholastic.com provide easy rubric makers for beginners. All you do is enter your criteria and select the number of points assigned. Then simply print the rubric. Some pages allow user to save rubrics, however, you often must register at those sites.
Open a new file if you decide to use an office program like Word or Excel. The benefit of using a spreadsheet like Excel is that you can print a grid without creating one on the page. A word processor will require you to create a new table by going to the Insert Menu and selecting "Table."
Decide how many rows and columns you need to create your rubric. Rubrics are often designed by having the points as columns going across the page. The various parts to be evaluated (such as introduction, body and conclusion) are set as rows. If you have three parts to be evaluated, and the points will be one through five, then you will need three rows and five columns.
Fill in the remaining grid boxes with the appropriate criteria for each column and row. For example, in the introduction section, you could include a statement that the thesis was not present in the paragraph, or that the student did not use the required amount of sentences.
Print out the rubric once you have finished filling in all the required sections. Go over the rubric with your students so they fully understand what it is you expect and how you will grade.