Everyday AI · Module 2

Describe a useful result

Suggested time: 6 minutes.

A brief is a short description of the work you want done. In a chat, you can give the brief as a prompt. Its job is to communicate decisions that the assistant should not have to infer.

Start with the task, audience and purpose:

• Task: What should the assistant produce or change?
• Audience: Who will read it?
• Purpose: What should that person understand or be able to do after reading?

“Make this better” leaves all three unclear. Better for whom? Shorter, friendlier, more detailed or more accurate? A useful revision names the desired result.

Compare:

Weak request:

“Write something good about the workshop.”

Clearer request:

“Draft a short internal progress update for the workshop coordinator, so they can see completed work and unresolved items.”

The second request still needs source material and boundaries, but it already defines the job. It does not ask the assistant to run the event or make decisions for the coordinator.

Use audience information that affects the output

Useful audience detail changes the response. “The coordinator needs a quick scan before a meeting” supports short bullets and visible topic labels. The coordinator’s private personal history would not help this task and should not be included.

A role instruction such as “act as a project coordinator” can describe a perspective, but it does not supply the missing project facts or authority to make commitments. “Expert” in a prompt is not a substitute for a clear task and review.

Write the finish line first

Before using the assistant, write one sentence describing success:

“The coordinator can scan three labelled bullets, see the status of each topic, and recognise every unresolved point.”

This is more useful for checking than “the answer sounds professional.” It names observable features. You can count the bullets, look for labels and compare each status with the source.

Quick pause: Take your Module 1 prompt. Can you point to the task and intended reader? If either is missing, add a short phrase. You will build the rest of the brief next.