Chapter 01 · Foundations

Prompting Foundations

Beginner12 min read

The strongest AI workflows don't start with a blank chat. They define the user, the job, the context, the constraints, and what a good output looks like — before writing a single word.

Prompt patterns in this chapter

Selected prompt

I'm designing for user type who is trying to accomplish job in the context of situation. Key constraints: constraints. Help me specific task. Output as format.

Use when

Starting any design task from scratch — research, critique, or ideation.

Output format

Structured list, short paragraphs, or table — specify which.

Sources & further reading

  1. Jobs-to-be-done framework Christensen, C. (2016). Competing Against Luck. HarperCollins.
  2. Context-first prompting reduces hallucination OpenAI Prompt Engineering Guide, 2024.

Found this useful? Support future updates →