📝 Written ● Beginner

Writing better prompts

Five proven prompt patterns that consistently produce polished, production-ready results on the first try.

Why prompt quality matters

Good prompts = better results. Vague requests lead to generic output; specific requests lead to tailored, professional designs.

The five-part prompt formula

Great prompts include these five elements:

What (deliverable)

Example: "Build a landing page" | "Create a pitch deck" | "Design a dashboard"

Be specific about the end product. Not "make something cool," but "build a professional SaaS landing page."

Who (audience/context)

Example: "for a B2B healthcare SaaS" | "for a luxury brand" | "for indie developers"

Context shapes design choices. A pitch deck for investors looks different from one for customers.

Content (sections/structure)

Example: "Include: hero section with headline + CTA, features grid (3 columns, 6 features), testimonials carousel, pricing table, footer."

List the exact sections you want. This prevents guessing and ensures your spec is met.

Style (visual tone)

Example: "Modern, minimalist dark theme with accent color blue" | "Professional corporate design" | "Playful, colorful, trendy"

Describe the visual vibe. Use references if helpful ("similar to Stripe's website" or "like Apple's design language").

Format (technical requirements)

Example: "Single HTML file" | "Responsive on mobile" | "Use Chart.js for data visualization" | "Production-ready"

Specify any technical constraints: single file, responsive, frameworks, or specific libraries.

Example: Building a landing page

Vague prompt (❌):

"Make a landing page for a tech company"

Great prompt (✅):

"Build a landing page for an AI-powered SaaS tool for small businesses. Include: 1) Hero section with headline 'Automate Your Sales' + CTA button 'Start Free Trial'; 2) 3-column features grid highlighting: Time-saving, Easy setup, 24/7 Support; 3) Pricing table comparing Starter, Pro, Enterprise; 4) Testimonials from 3 customers; 5) Footer with links. Modern, clean design with dark blue as accent. Single HTML file, responsive on mobile and desktop."

Pattern 1: The specification template

Use this structure for any project:

[DELIVERABLE] for [AUDIENCE]. Include: [SECTIONS]. Style: [TONE]. Technical: [FORMAT].

Example: "Pitch deck for a seed-stage AI startup pitching to VCs. 6 slides covering: Problem, Solution, Market, Business Model, Team, Ask. Professional, investor-ready design. Dark theme with accent color. Export as PowerPoint."

Pattern 2: The reference example

Compare to something the AI knows:

"Build a landing page similar to Stripe's website: clean, minimal, lots of white space, professional sans-serif font. Include hero section, feature cards, CTA, and testimonials."

Good references: Stripe, Notion, Figma, Vercel, Slack, Apple — well-designed sites that are easy to describe and emulate.

Pattern 3: The detailed section breakdown

List each section with exact content:

Build a homepage with: Section 1 (Hero): Large heading "Welcome", paragraph, hero image. Section 2 (Features): 3 columns, each with icon + title + description. Section 3 (CTA): "Ready to start?" + button. Footer: Copyright + links.

Pattern 4: The design constraint

Add constraints that improve quality:

"Build a SaaS dashboard. Design constraints: single accent color (blue), max 2 typefaces, use semantic HTML, follow WCAG accessibility guidelines."

Useful constraints: Single accent color, max 3 fonts, mobile-first, no images (CSS only), accessible, performance-optimized.

Pattern 5: The audience instruction

Be explicit about who sees this:

"Build a pitch deck for investor meetings. Content should be: credible data, clear narrative, visual hierarchy favoring headlines. Exclude jargon. Every slide must be understandable at a glance."

Anti-patterns (avoid)

❌ Vague: "Make it look good"

✅ Clear: "Use a professional, minimal design with ample white space"

❌ Open-ended: "Design a website for a startup"

✅ Specific: "Design a landing page for a mobile app that helps remote teams schedule meetings"

❌ Wishy-washy: "Maybe include some testimonials?"

✅ Decisive: "Include testimonials from 4 happy customers with photos, quotes, and titles"

Prompt tip: If your first result isn't quite right, don't start over. Use "Continue" to refine: "Make the colors warmer" or "Add more padding between sections." Each follow-up costs less and compounds.

Prompt checklist

Before clicking "Send," verify your prompt includes:

☐ Clear deliverable (landing page, pitch deck, dashboard, etc.)
☐ Audience or context (B2B SaaS, consumers, investors, etc.)
☐ List of sections/content to include
☐ Visual style (minimalist, bold, playful, etc.)
☐ Technical requirements (responsive, single file, etc.)

Quick wins

These small changes often improve results significantly:

Add "production-ready" to signal you want polish, not a rough draft
Specify "single HTML file" to avoid needing extra setup
Say "modern" or "professional" (not "cool" or "awesome")
Include color preferences ("dark theme with gold accents")
Name the format ("Make it responsive" or "Mobile-first design")