We all look for ways to streamline our workflow and improve efficiency. Artificial intelligence tools are excellent resources for automating daily tasks such as summarising data or brainstorming ideas. And with large language models (LLMs) also providing ample opportunities for facilitating research alongside using search engines, AI tools can also be great for helping students and professionals develop new skills and jump into new areas of study. This is one of the primary reasons why learning how to prompt AI effectively is a valuable skill for not only students, but professionals and entrepreneurs as well.
To fully take advantage of the capacities of artificial intelligence, continue reading for advice on how to make it work for you. We’ll offer you our top tips for building up a purposeful AI prompt library for you to utilize.
Format your AI Prompt Library
The first thing you should aim to do is develop an ideal structure for your AI prompt library. For most professionals, preparing a detailed spreadsheet can be a great way to easily keep track of and categorise all your most routinely used AI prompts.
The only issue with spreadsheets is that the cells aren’t big enough to see prompts in full. That, and it’s too easy to accidentally press a button on your keyboard and see a whole column of prompts be erased in a flash.
This is why more passionate AI users are instead developing PDF records for their most detailed AI prompts. You can use Adobe Acrobat to not only create PDFs but also to combine PDF files, allowing you to basically create eBooks filled with AI prompts.
From here, you can securely store and access these AI prompt books on any device, thanks to the universal accessibility of .pdf files. Or, if you’re feeling particularly entrepreneurial, you may even be able to sell your AI prompt books by making them industry- or subject-specific (i.e. creating AI prompt books specifically for coders, programmers, digital artists, etc.).
Outline Potential Prompt Angles
Once you’ve got the bones of your AI prompt library prepared, it’s finally time to start populating it. The best approach here is to determine what types of AI prompts are likely to be most valuable within the niche you’re working in.
In other words, ask yourself what tasks you’d ideally like your AI tool to complete for you – either to strengthen your output or save on your time. This might include automating routine processes or solving technical challenges (i.e. writing dense and detailed code pathways so you don’t have to do it manually).
Some AI prompts that are most likely to be universally useful include:
- Coding prompts
- Research prompts
- Document/article summary prompts
- AI image generation prompts
- AI content/article strategy prompts
- Marketing copy/social media post prompts
- Fiction writing prompts
In all instances, you should always make sure to consider your use case. Is its scope broad or more of a niche classification? Answering this question will help you compose your prompts according to your needs.
Strive for clarity
Anybody who’s dabbled with AI tools to even a middling degree knows that making AI algorithms work for you means being as specific as possible with your prompt process. Providing your AI tool with specific information or commands will yield exponentially better results than vague, overgeneralised language. Instead of saying, “Summarise this book,” try “Summarise the main points of the first chapter using three bullet points.”
Based on this example, you can see the key to more specific prompts is to break down the larger complex tasks into smaller, more manageable chunks. When your requests involve multiple steps, write the prompt to address each one in order. This makes it easier for the AI to provide the desired outcome.
Be detailed enough to guide your AI tool effectively, but not so rigid that it limits interpretation. Allow the AI to use its power to iterate, thus improving its learning capacity and, ultimately, the final results you’ll receive.
Use effective categories (for prompts and outputs)
Much like the Dewey Decimal System helps organize books in a library, separating your AI prompts by industry, application, or output can help prevent confusion and keep track of all your prompt innovations. But whilst categorizing your prompts is vital for creating highly organized prompt libraries, it’s important to subcategorize based on prompt outputs as well!
For example, you might build directories for “New Recipes,” “Code Debugging,” and “Pet Names.” The clearer your naming system, the easier it will be to quickly access and run the prompts.
And if you’re looking to make a highly crawlable prompt database for yourself, be sure to also utilize tags and shortcuts on your desktop, and take advantage of cloud storage solutions to collaborate with others and access the prompts remotely across devices. Organizing on the fly is key to preventing clutter and simplifying scaling your digital library of instantly accessible information.
Test and refine your approaches
Much like software development or building a new automobile engine, testing is vital to creating effective AI prompts. After writing one, test it in a safe “sandbox” environment using data reserved for development activity to observe the results.
Did the prompt meet your objective? If not, the AI may have misinterpreted your intention, or perhaps you didn’t provide enough context. Refine the prompt using clarified instructions and a more contextual background. Consider citing specific links for the AI to gather existing data related to the topic.
It’s an ongoing process. As you test, you’ll uncover areas for improvement. Try changing word choices, adding more details, and rephrasing your requests for improved clarity. If specific vocabulary doesn’t provide adequate results, don’t hesitate to try different approaches. As you learn more about AI, you’ll gain experience in fine-tuning prompts to deliver consistently strong outcomes.
Include examples in your prompts
Sometimes, humans need visual clarification to stimulate learning and retention of complex topics. The same is true for artificial intelligence programs. We need to help them understand the context and the response we’re expecting.
Where possible, reduce ambiguity in your prompting. For example, if you need help creating a new logo for your company, show the AI one of your favourites and tell it to create a new one that reflects the properties you admire. This is better than broadly stating, “I need to create a new logo.”
Expand on the prompt by saying, “My favourite thing about this company’s logo is its modern script and use of pastel colours. I want to create one for my business using those attributes but adding a bit of retro-style inspiration.” You’ll enjoy more consistent outcomes by providing a clear template for the bot to follow.
Finally, remember to ask for different approaches to the task. Give AI permission to offer you a range of alternatives. For example, if you’re using AI for product visualisation to generate a new car body style, ask for several influences, such as European refinement and American muscle. Request that the AI reference a specific make and model from 2010, but come up with a refreshed version using your favourite styling cues from manufacturers X, Y, and Z.
By combining several samples of your objectives, the AI will reference them so that it can better understand the range of possibilities, and provide you with better overall results.
Set yourself up for success with an optimised AI prompt library
AI is dramatically affecting the business landscape and will continue to have a major impact. To ensure your business is AI-ready and that you use artificial intelligence to enhance your operations, you need to put in the groundwork now. With the right foundations in place, you can be confident in your abilities to use AI more successfully.
Follow the tips outlined above to build an AI prompt library and get the ball rolling as you increase your confidence in artificial intelligence integration.