Are you looking to get the most out of your interactions with AI systems? Crafting effective prompts is key to unlocking their full potential and achieving your goals. In this post, we’ll walk you through the essential steps to create prompts that work for both you and the AI.

1. Define Your Objective

Start by clearly defining what you want the AI to do. Is it to generate content, answer questions, or solve a specific problem? Be as specific as possible about the desired outcome.

2. Provide Relevant Context

Give the AI system relevant background information to better understand your request. This could include details about the target audience, tone, style, or any constraints.

3. Use Clear, Concise Language

Write your prompt using plain, straightforward language. Avoid jargon, ambiguous terms, and overly complex sentences. Break down complex tasks into smaller, manageable steps.

4. Set Expectations

Clarify what you expect from the AI’s response, such as the desired length, format, and level of detail. This helps the system understand your requirements and deliver a more relevant output.

5. Encourage Creativity

Encourage creativity by providing inspiration, ideation prompts, and a starting point to build upon. The AI’s suggestions can spark new ideas and directions that some of us may not have considered on their own.

6. Test and Refine

After receiving the AI’s response, evaluate how well it meets your objectives. Provide feedback to the system and refine your prompt based on the results. Experiment with different approaches to find what works best.

5 things to Avoid When Prompting AI

1. Vague or ambiguous language
2. Overly complex or lengthy prompts
3. Biased or harmful language
4. Requests that go against ethical principles
5. Ignoring the AI system’s capabilities and limitations

By following these steps and avoiding common pitfalls, you’ll be well on your way to crafting prompts that help you and the AI work together more efficiently. Remember, effective prompting is an iterative process, so don’t be afraid to experiment and learn from your experiences.

Ideal Prompt Length

The ideal length of an AI image prompt varies depending on the complexity of the desired image. Generally, a prompt that is 3 to 7 sentences is sufficient to provide the AI with the necessary details to generate a high-quality image13. Avoid being too prescriptive, as this can limit the AI’s ability to explore different approaches1.

Prompt Structure

A well-structured AI image prompt typically includes the following elements:

1. Image content/subject, description of action, state, and mood
2. Art form, style, and artist references
3. Additional settings, such as lighting, colors, and framing
4. Separate each element with commas to help the AI interpret your prompt.

Prompt Examples

Here are some examples of Chat GBTs own image prompts:

The first couple of prompts I am showing even though they did now work out as I expected them to, it turns out I left the AI with too much room to interpret what I was looking for in context. The final one is where I followed these rules to create an image.

Let me explain. I asked Chat GBT to provide 3 prompts that would ensure we got an accurate image to match the prompt it provided to me. I thought that would deliver a great image. What that achieved was it allowed Chat GBT to use its own context (it;s agenda as opposed to mine) without any objective beyond matching its prompt to an image. Hence each prompt it provides , it explained to  me why it/s a good prompt, which I include. So I ,missed out step 2 above without realising I had, and thats the results it gave me, a perfect prompt for an image that was perfectly wrong, for me! However you can see, what it saw in it’s own interpretation, the result was spot on. just not useable.

in the final prompt, I followed the steps, and was looking for a futurist AI Military fly robot, that could be the fly on the wal to gather information in the enemies war room, and fly back to base to report the intel. who can’t see that happening? I asked minute detail with macro lens with bomb blast resistance with armour. I got way beyond expectation using this 6 step promy method. Commet your thoughts. 

First perfect  prompt:
“Generate a photorealistic image of a mountain landscape at sunrise. The mountain peaks are capped with snow in the early morning light. A lake reflects the colors of the sky, surrounded by pine forests. An eagle soars overhead towards the rising sun.”

Prompt Explained:

This prompt demonstrates the level of detail and specificity that can be included in an effective AI prompt. It provides clear instructions about the subject matter, composition, lighting, and mood, which helps guide the AI in generating a relevant and high-quality image.

Ok my request was about flying high with job performance

“Prompt Explained:

“This prompt demonstrates how AI prompts can be used to create atmospheric, mood-setting images. By including details about lighting, weather conditions, and the surrounding environment, the prompt helps the AI paint a vivid picture of a cozy, winter cabin scene.”

I guess this would be good where Chat GBT had ‘Frozen’ in mind. I had to key this one go!

**Prompt Explained:

“Similar to the previous example, this prompt combines specific elements (a curious robot, an alien world, strange flora and fauna) with references to the styles of two renowned artists (Syd Mead and Moebius). This approach can help the AI generate unique, visually striking images that align with the desired aesthetic.

This demonstrates a not-uncommon problem with GBT’s Sometimes they go off at a tangent and for the story I gave it, none of these worked for me, but all three perectly look like the prompt, I can see that.

In the end, I decided to show you the problem rather than the solution, that you may not be able to see why they were good. I believe i learn better by seeing the mistakes.