💡 This article is a knowledge base for Product Designers using AI tools.
It covers best prompting practices, real use cases and expert tips
🎯 Scope of Product Design Prompting
AI can enhance our workflows in:
- Design critique
- Rapid prototyping
- Content generation
- Accessibility checks
- Storyboarding & user flows
This article will be focused on vibe-coding and vibe-design using tools like:
Tool | Description | Link |
---|---|---|
V0 | AI-powered UI generator using Next.js and Tailwind; good for dev-ready UIs | v0.dev |
Lovable | Prototyping tool with a Figma-like interface and AI features | lovable.so |
Bolt | Build production-ready SaaS apps with AI and prebuilt templates | bolt.new |
Firebase Studio | AI-powered Firebase app scaffolder with UI, auth, and DB integration | firebase.studio |
🧱 Prompting Fundamentals
✳️ High-Level Prompting Structure (Start Here)
🚀 TL;DR Prompting Checklist
- ✅ Role: Useful for general-purpose AI, less needed with specialized models
- ✅ Context: Set the scene
- ✅ Task: Define what you want
- ✅ Instructions: Include constraints, logic, tools
- ✅ Examples: Optional but powerful
- ✅ Output Format: Specify how you want it back
1️⃣ Context
Why does this matter? What’s the background or goal?
Give AI the big picture—tone, domain, complexity.
Example:
“I'm building a budgeting app for Gen Z users who love TikTok-style UIs.”
2️⃣ Task / Objective
What should the AI do specifically?
Be clear—code generation, naming ideas, UX review?
Example:
“Generate a React component to display upcoming subscription renewals.”
3️⃣ Instructions / Constraints
What rules or preferences should it follow?
Specify:
- Fields, logic, behavior
- Tech stack
- Services or libraries to use/avoid
Example:
“Use TailwindCSS, include dark mode toggle, and pull brand icons via Clearbit.”
4️⃣ Examples (Optional but Powerful)
Sample input/output for guidance.
Example:
✅ "Spotify — $9.99 / month — Renews May 1"
❌ "Spotify $9.99"
5️⃣ Output Format
Define the structure of the response.
Markdown, code-only, bullet points, etc.
Example:
“Output a TypeScript file with a
SubscriptionCard
component only.”
🧠 Mapping Prompt Labels
Label | Meaning |
---|---|
Context |
Background |
Problem |
Task |
Instructions |
Constraints |
Examples |
Demos |
Output Format |
Desired result |
💡 Pro tip:
If unsure how to start, ask ChatGPT to create the prompt for you based on your tool. Still provide some context.
You can also copy the TL;DR checklist above and ask the AI to fill it in.
🔁 Prompt Refinement
Iterate!
- Add follow-ups
- Rephrase tasks
- Provide more context or examples
- Try different models or reset the chat
Einstein said it best:
“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”
📌 Improve Clarity with Examples
❌ "Update the image on the thing that switches the dark mode"
✅ "Replace the dark mode icon in the
component with a moon SVG from Feather Icons"
🧠 Expert Prompting Tips
💬 Speak the AI’s Language
- Refer to components/files by exact names (
home-page.tsx
) - Use single backticks
for inline code
- Use triple backticks for code blocks
🖼️ Use Visual + Structural Context
- Upload UI screenshots
- Include folder structure, diagrams
- Screenshot component trees
🧩 Example Prompt Format
Feature: Dark Mode Toggle
Context
We want users to toggle between dark/light themes.
Instructions
- Add button in navbar
- Store preference in local storage
- Use Tailwind for styling
🧪 Prototyping & Visual Prompts
Upload wireframes, hi-fi prototypes, and UI screenshots. Reference them clearly.
Example:
👉 “The first image is the homepage UI. The second is the user profile.”
🧾 Folder Structure Prompting
Include structure when relevant.
Example:
src/
components/
SubscriptionCard.tsx
pages/
index.tsx
💡 In-Component Prompting
In the
, add a new tab called “Insights”
// index.tsx
import { Global, css } from "@emotion/react";
const GlobalStyles = () => (
<Global
styles={css`
.docblock-source {
margin: 0;
}
`}
/>
);
🔧 Prototyping Tools (e.g. V0) Prompt Template
Task
Build a [Descriptive Name] Web App using Next.js.
Context
Create a fast, appealing UI to [briefly describe purpose].
Features & Instructions
- Feature 1: [List feature details]
- Feature 2: [Details]
Additional Requirements
- Multi-currency support
- React Lucide icons
- Supabase for data
Tech Stack
- Next.js, TypeScript, TailwindCSS
- APIs: ExchangeRate-API, Faker API
Output Format
Component breakdowns, folder structure suggestions
🌐 Useful tools to use in prototpying
Look for thousands of public APIs here: https://publicapis.io/
📸 Image APIs
API | Purpose | URL |
---|---|---|
Unsplash | UI placeholders | unsplash.com |
Lorem Picsum | Random images | picsum.photos |
👤 Fake Data APIs
API | Purpose | URL |
---|---|---|
Random User Generator | Fake profiles | randomuser.me |
Faker API | Names, addresses, etc. | fakerapi.it |
📊 Data APIs
API | Purpose | URL |
---|---|---|
OpenWeatherMap | Weather data | openweathermap.org |
ChartJS | Charting | chartjs.org |