Quick Reference Guide
Working Well With AI — Core Principles and Frameworks
Keep this nearby as a practical reference while working with AI. It summarizes the most important ideas from the course in a single place.
The 5-Step Practical AI Workflow
| Step | Question | What it produces |
|---|---|---|
| Frame | What is this and why does it matter? | Task clarity |
| Aim | Who is it for? What outcome do I want? | Audience and goal definition |
| Guide | What tone, format, and constraints apply? | Quality guardrails |
| Refine | What is weak or off-target? | Improved output |
| Reuse | Can this become a template? | A repeatable pattern |
What a strong prompt usually includes
- What this is (type and purpose)
- Who it is for (audience: role, expertise, what they care about)
- What outcome it needs to accomplish
- What context matters (background, project, situation)
- What tone or style to use
- What to include
- What to avoid
- What success should look like
You do not need all eight every time. Focus on the ones that are currently missing from your prompts.
The most commonly missed elements
- Audience — Not just "customers" but who specifically, what they know, and what they care about
- Outcome — Not just the artifact but what it should accomplish
- Constraints — Length limits, format rules, and topic exclusions
- Exclusions — What you do not want is as useful as what you do
Before you submit any request
Quick checklist (30 seconds):
- [ ] Have I named the audience?
- [ ] Have I stated the goal or outcome?
- [ ] Have I given relevant context?
- [ ] Have I set tone and format expectations?
- [ ] Have I added any constraints or exclusions?
After you receive output
- [ ] Does it accomplish the stated goal?
- [ ] Is it organized for the reader — not just logically?
- [ ] Is the tone right?
- [ ] Is there anything to cut?
- [ ] Is there anything missing?
- [ ] Was a follow-up instruction more efficient than manual editing?
How to diagnose weak output
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Too generic | No audience or context given | Add audience + context |
| Wrong tone | No tone instruction | Add explicit tone guidance |
| Too long / padded | No length constraint | Add word limit + "avoid filler" instruction |
| Missed the point | Goal was unclear | Clarify the intended outcome |
| Wrong structure | No format guidance | Specify the structure explicitly |
| Sounds like AI | No style direction | Add style instruction with clear model |
| Off-topic drift | No scope limits | Add exclusion constraints |
Refinement instructions that commonly improve output
- "The opening sentence is a cliché. Start with the most concrete, useful point."
- "The tone is too formal. Rewrite to be direct and plain, like a knowledgeable colleague."
- "The last paragraph repeats the intro. Cut it."
- "This is padded. Cut any sentence that does not add new information."
- "Every sentence hedges. Remove phrases like 'it may be worth considering' and make direct statements."
- "The main point is buried. Move it to the first paragraph."
- "This is too comprehensive. Focus on the [specific aspect], not the full picture."
What to avoid in prompts
- Vague verbs: "help me with," "improve," "make better" — say specifically what better means
- Generic audience: "everyone," "our users," "people" — be specific
- No outcome: "write a summary" without saying what the summary should enable
- Overlong preamble: context that does not change what AI should write
- Assuming shared knowledge: AI does not know your product, audience, or vocabulary unless you tell it