How to talk to AI as a product designer.

Date:

30 January 2026

Author:

Roderick Meijer

In the AI landscape of 2026, the question "Do you know how to use the software?" has been replaced by "Do you know how to talk to it?”

We’ve moved past the novelty phase of AI. Today, prompting isn't just "typing things into a box"—it is a fundamental shift in our technical identity as designers. It is the new "coding" for creatives. This article give some tips how to write your prompts.

The Four Pillars of Intent

Before we look at the examples, we need to understand the variables that make up a good prompt. Think of these as the global styles in your design system—once these are defined, everything else falls into place.

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Role Who is the AI being? (e.g., Senior UX Researcher, Minimalist Illustrator).

Context What is the background? Who is the audience? What is the “vibe"?

Task The specific action. Use strong verbs like analyze, generate, or critique.

Constraint The boundaries. Length, format, tone, or "what to avoid."

Anatomy of a good prompt

Think of a prompt as a design brief. To get the best results, you need to define five dimensions: Clarity, Context, Specificity, Tone, and Format. Here are some examples.

Clarity

Bad: “Make a contact page.”
Better: “Design the layout and form logic for a 'Contact Us' page for a boutique architecture firm. Include fields for project budget and timeline, and ensure the layout prioritizes a professional, minimalist aesthetic with a clear submission confirmation message.”

Context

Bad: “Write copy for the homepage.”
Better: “Draft the hero section copy for the homepage of a cybersecurity startup. The audience is non-technical small business owners, so the messaging should be authoritative yet accessible, focusing on protection and simplicity rather than technical specs.”

Specificity

Bad: “Give me color ideas for the app.”
Better: “Propose 3 distinct color palettes for a fintech dashboard that needs to look trustworthy and modern. Each palette must include hex codes for a primary brand color, a neutral background slate, and semantic colors for success (green) and error (red) states that meet WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards.”

Tone

Bad: “Write copy for checkout flow in the app.”
Better: “Write the UI copy for a high-end furniture store's checkout flow. The tone should be reassuring, sophisticated, and transparent. Focus on reducing 'buyer's remorse' by using clear language for shipping estimates and secure payment confirmations.”

Format

Bad: “List features for a travel app.”
Better: “Research 6 essential features for a solo-traveler safety app. Organize the output into a structured listwhere each feature includes a brief User Story (e.g., 'As a traveler, I want to...') and a Complexity Score from 1 to 5.”