Ideation + Iteration = Automation
AI prompting workflow that starts with creatively designing a prompt (ideation), then refining it through testing and adjustment (iteration) until it reliably delivers quality outputs. Once stable, the prompt can be automated to scale tasks like content generation, analysis, or instruction. This process transforms one-off AI interactions into repeatable, efficient systems.
Ideation
The creative phase is where you define the task, clarify your goals, and shape the initial prompt. It can include asking the LLM to help write or refine the prompt and adding instructions like “ask clarifying questions” to guide its behavior. The goal is to design a prompt that aligns with your intent before testing outputs.
I like to add this statement while ideating. Ask enough clarifying questions to ensure your response adds value.
Iteration
The process of testing your prompt, reviewing the AI's outputs, and making adjustments to improve accuracy, tone, or usefulness. It involves refining language, adding examples, or restructuring the prompt based on how well it performs. The goal is to make the prompt reliable, consistent, and ready for automation.
I like to add {{placeholders}} at this stage for rapid testing with different inputs and situations.
Automation
The stage where a well-tested prompt is turned into a repeatable system. This means incorporating the prompt into a tool or workflow at scale. The goal is to eliminate manual, time-consuming tasks while maintaining consistent, high-quality output.
Quiz Development Example
Test these out in ChatGPT and Gemini
V1:
Create a five-question, multiple-choice quiz about American History.
V2:
Create a five-question multiple-choice quiz about the American Revolution from the context of an American History class.
V3:
Create a five-question multiple-choice quiz about the American Revolution designed for 10th-grade American History students. Each question should have 4 answer choices (A–D) and an answer key at the end of the quiz.
Use the following directives to develop quiz questions:
-Intentionally target the cognitive skills of recall and analysis.
-Cover the aspects of major battles, key figures, and outcomes.
-Question difficulty must range from medium to difficult for the student group defined above.
V4:
{{question-count}}: REPLACE with number of questions (e.g., 5, 10, 15)
{{quiz-topic}}: REPLACE with main topic (e.g., cell structure, Civil War, Romeo and Juliet)
{{grade-level}}: REPLACE with the representing student grade level (8,9,10,11, etc…) .
{{course-name}}: REPLACE with course (e.g., American History, Biology, ELA)
{{answer-options}}: REPLACE with number of choices (typically 4 or 5)
{{cognitive-skills}}: REPLACE with cognitive skills (e.g., "recall and analysis" or "comprehension, application, and synthesis")
{{subtopics}}: REPLACE with specific focus areas (e.g., "major battles, key structures, and plots")
{{difficulty-min}}: REPLACE with difficulty (e.g., "medium" or "difficult")
{{difficulty-max}}: REPLACE with difficulty (e.g., "medium" or "difficult")
Create a {{question-count}}-question multiple choice quiz about the {{quiz-topic}} designed for {{grade-level}}th grade {{course-name}} students. Each question should have {{answer-options}} answer choices and an answer key at the end of the quiz.
Use the following directives to develop quiz questions:
-Intentionally target the cognitive skills of {{cognitive-skills}}.
-Cover the aspects of {{subtopics}}.
-Question difficulty must range from {{difficulty-min}} to {{difficulty-max}} for the student group defined above.