Backward Design Backward Design refers to using your long term goal for your short term plan. It involves working backwards in a sense. A teacher should first establish the long term goal which will occur after the short term goal. This is necessary to remain focused. For example, if a teacher's long term goal was for students to learn critical thinking skills the teacher would need to implement that into his/her short term plan. Otherwise, students will never be able to reach the long term goal.