Lesson 03 · 10 minutes
Brief AI like a capable colleague
Give the goal, the context that matters, the constraints, an example and what a good result looks like, instead of hunting for the perfect magic wording.
Why this matters
When context is missing, a model quietly fills the gap with assumptions, and it rarely tells you which ones it made.
A clear brief doubles as your own checklist for judging the result afterwards.
The practical bit
Say what you are trying to achieve, who it is for, what information is relevant, what must not happen, and what a useful result looks like. Add a short example when the style or structure matters more than you can put into words.
Ask the system to flag anything it is missing or assuming before it commits to a consequential answer. Expect to iterate: look at what went wrong, add the missing context or constraint, and try again on a small sample rather than the whole job.
What it looks like
Instead of 'write an email', name the recipient, the purpose, your relationship to them, the facts that must appear, the tone to steer clear of, the length you want, and the decision the email should make possible.
For a meal plan, give the dietary needs, what is already in the cupboard, how long you have to cook, the budget and whether you want leftovers. 'Make me a healthy dinner' leaves all of that to guesswork.
Piling on dramatic instructions and long personas while leaving out the real audience, the source material, the constraints and any definition of done. In practice, a plain brief with the actual details beats an elaborate one without them.
Use your judgement
Try it now
- Write the goal and audience.
- Add only relevant context and source material.
- Add constraints, a useful format and your checking criteria.
Use this in a real situation
Brief a writing taskTurn real notes into a useful brief with boundaries and review points.Open the practical →Keep this
Better context and clearer criteria beat clever wording every time.