The definitions of designation and classification are found in Utah Code 63G-2-103(3) and (7). In a nutshell:

• Designation means indicating how a record series is classified, based on a representative sample of the records.
  • Agencies designate a record series when the series is created, and/or any time after that. 
    
• Classification means determining whether a record, record series, or information in a record is public, private, controlled, protected, or exempt from GRAMA (Utah Code 63G-2).
  • Agencies classify records, record series, and information in a record in response to a records request. The determination is made by reviewing the responsive records and determining—at that point in that exact situation—whether they are public, private, controlled, protected, exempt, or some combination of those.

Each record series that agencies schedule with State Archives includes a designation, with a supporting citation to the applicable subsection of GRAMA.