Exercise 1: Optimizing Your First Prompt
Goal of This Exercise
You will learn the difference between a simple and an optimized prompt -- and see live how the quality of the AI response changes. By the end, you will know which techniques have the greatest effect.
Task: Write an explanation of "Artificial Intelligence" for different target audiences.
*Follow along now!
Copy the prompts and test them yourself -- reading alone is not enough! Open ChatGPT or Claude and try each step. Only then will you truly experience the difference.
Step 1: The Simple Prompt
Start with the simplest possible prompt:
Prompt: "Explain Artificial Intelligence."
Copy this prompt into ChatGPT or Claude and read the response. The answer is probably correct but very general -- not written for a specific audience, probably somewhat long, and full of technical terms.
Evaluate the result:
- Who is this explanation suitable for?
- Is it understandable for someone without prior knowledge?
- Is it the right length?
Step 2: Adding a Role
Now we add a role. The AI should put itself in the shoes of a specific person:
Prompt: "You are a teacher for 10-year-olds. Explain Artificial Intelligence."
Compare the response with Step 1. You will notice: The language becomes simpler, examples from children's everyday life are used, and technical terms are avoided or explained.
Step 3: Specifying the Format
Now we additionally specify a concrete format:
Prompt: "You are a teacher for 10-year-olds. Explain Artificial Intelligence in exactly 3 sentences. Use an analogy from everyday life."
The answer is now precise, audience-appropriate, and well-structured. Three clear constraints -- role, length, and method -- lead to a significantly better result.
Step 4: Compare the Results
Place all three answers side by side and compare:
| Aspect | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Length | Probably long | Medium | Short and concise |
| Language | Technical language | Simpler | Very simple |
| Target audience | Unclear | Children | Children, clearly defined |
| Structure | No specification | No specification | 3 sentences + analogy |
Bonus: Change the Target Audience
Try the same optimized prompt for different target audiences:
- "You are a professor. Explain Artificial Intelligence for computer science students in 3 sentences."
- "You are a journalist. Explain Artificial Intelligence for newspaper readers in 3 sentences."
- "You are a comedian. Explain Artificial Intelligence humorously in 3 sentences."
Which prompting technique typically had the greatest effect on comprehensibility in this exercise?
Reflect
You have just applied three fundamental prompting techniques:
- Role: Who should the AI be? This influences language, tone, and perspective.
- Format: How long should the answer be? What structure? This keeps the answer focused.
- Method: How should the explanation be given? (Analogy, examples, comparisons) This makes the answer vivid.
These three techniques work for almost any task -- whether you are having texts written, summarized, or analyzed. If you take away just one thing from this exercise, let it be this: Always give the AI a role and a clear format.
Next up is Exercise 2: Generating your first AI image.