Here are the things i wish that Bethesda had done for settler assignment:

To assign a settler to a task: Would be nice if it could be done in workshop mode as currently enabled, OR in regular mode. In either mode, it could look something like:

-Click on a settler to talk to them, and get an "assign" button choice option if they are unassigned (or get an "assigned to: [task]" message if already assigned). Choose that option, and get a list of everything in that settlement that is currently built but not yet assigned to anyone. Select something from the list to assign them (no need to walk clear across your settlement to assign if your settler isn't standing near it at the time).

OR

-Click on an assignable item, and either see an "assigned to: [name]" message or get a button option to assign, with a list of settlers who are not yet assigned (or just able to click an option to randomly assign any unassigned settler to that task)

To tell if a settler already has an assignment/what their assignment is: Would be nice if the game could just auto-equip a settler with a "uniform" if assigned (whether that is a special hat, a shirt, a colored bandana, whatever!), and if each uniform were unique to that particular task assignment. That way you can tell at a glance who is assigned and who isn't, and what each person's assignment is.

I also don't know how easy or not easy it is to unassign someone from a task right now (because I haven't had to do that yet), but the above options could also work. In the assignment options (when clicking on a settler or an assignable item that is already assigned), one option could be to unassign (or reassign to a different task).

I am fairly early in my playthrough, so if any of these are actually possible (and I just haven't figured them out yet), please let me know! As far as I could tell, none of them are, but I may have missed something.

This is very true. In larger settlements it is difficult to tell if a settler npc is already assigned a task due to the stations being possibly out of range.

Use the bell to gather the npcs. It is under resources->misc. May have to ring it a couple of times in bigger settlements.

I typically assigned named npcs to the vendor stalls as it is simpler to figure out who to barter with.

Also try equiping a certain outfit for certain npcs based on their task assigned.

On a tangent: I build a stairway up to one of the elevated highways that ran thru a settlement, and found two settler npcs already chilling up there.

+1 to a menu based chore assignment system outside of build mode.

It would be nice to be able to assign npc's their jobs when interacting via the trade function. currently you have to interact with the npc to issue weapons and armor and equip those items. then you have to enter build mode to assign beds, chores etc. Maybe the dev's could integrate the two processes where that would be possible.

It would be so awesome to be able to see who's assigned to what without needing to see the hidden farm on the otherside of the wall.

A list showing who's assigned and to what would be cool.

Exactly! I want to be able to just walk up to my settlers, talk to them, and then get options similar to companions that allow me to either trade equipment, or assign/unassign job (or just check what their current job is!). And maybe send to assigned job location (get back to work, stop banging on the house in Sanctuary, you aren't fixing anything!)! I'd also like it if they are a farmer, to list the type and number of plants they are currently assigned to tend. Otherwise I lose count, and it's a pain to try to hover over someone in workshop mode, and count every green-highlighted crop to figure out if a specific farmer is working under/at/over capacity.