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Maximizing Your ChatGPT+ Experience

Unlock the power of custom instructions and prompting.

GeneralLast updated: 15 Feb 202413 min read

By Zeljko Prsa

At PROTOTYP, the integration of cutting-edge tools into our workflow is a no-brainer. One such tool that stands out is ChatGPT+.

With its advanced features and capabilities, ChatGPT+ is positively changing the way we approach tasks and problem-solving.

This article explores how we, as a team, harness the power of ChatGPT+ to streamline our processes, enhance productivity, and accelerate professional development.

But first.

Privacy and Confidentiality at PROTOTYP:

When we started using ChatGPT+ every day, we made a pinky promise to keep privacy and confidentiality tight. And we mean super tight.

Here's the lowdown on how we keep our client's info locked down: Anonymizing data, keeping ChatGPT+ in its lane, bulletproof data handling, coaching our crew, and doing our homework with regular check-ups.

Data Anonymization: Before any information is utilized in our interactions with ChatGPT+, we anonymize all data. This means stripping away any personal or company identifiers, ensuring that insights and strategies developed are not tied to any specific entity.
Limited Scope of Use: ChatGPT+ is employed strictly within the boundaries of non-sensitive aspects of our projects. It is never used to process client-specific data unless it has been thoroughly anonymized and cleared of any proprietary information.
Secure Data Practices: We employ robust data management practices, including secure storage and handling, to ensure that sensitive information remains within the controlled environment of our project teams.
Staff Training: Our team members are trained in data protection and privacy, understanding the importance of maintaining confidentiality across all our operations.
Regular Audits: We conduct regular audits of our processes and AI interactions to verify that our strict privacy standards are maintained.

By implementing these and other measures, we guarantee that our use of ChatGPT+ never compromises the integrity or confidentiality of our client data. At PROTOTYP, the trust placed in us by our clients is upheld with the highest standard of care.

With that now out of the way...

Here's how we do it

Our work thrives on precision, creativity, and efficiency. As professionals, adopting powerful tools that augment creativity and refine our operational processes is a must. ChatGPT+, with its enhanced functionalities, fits that description more than any other tool before in the history.

It offers several key enhancements over the standard model, including faster response times, more nuanced understanding, and priority access to new features and improvements. Such advancements are crucial for us. Time is precious and the quality of work is non-negotiable.

Let me expand on these, one by one:

Enhanced Speed and Efficiency: The speed of response from ChatGPT+ means quicker iterations. Whether it’s brainstorming session notes, drafting project outlines, or generating code snippets, ChatGPT+ can perform these tasks swiftly, thereby reducing the turnaround time for client projects.

Priority Access and Updates: With ChatGPT+, we’re always at the cutting edge. We gain priority access to the latest AI model updates, ensuring that our agency is equipped with the most advanced AI capabilities.

This not only sets us apart from the competition but also ensures that our solutions are built on the most modern and efficient technologies available.

Sophisticated Understanding: The nuanced understanding of ChatGPT+ allows for more complex and context-aware interactions. This capability can be especially beneficial in understanding and dissecting client briefs, performing competitor analysis, and even debugging code, thanks to its sophisticated comprehension of technical language and concepts.

Mixing ChatGPT+ into our daily hustle is shaking things up in a big way. It's like we've got a new secret sauce for our digital projects. From the initial creative brainstorming all the way to final client deliverables, ChatGPT+ stands to be an invaluable ally.

In the next section, we deal with streamlining design and development workflows using ChatGPT+. This makes our processes even more fluid and our deliverables more impactful.

Streamlining Design and Development Workflows

From the first lightbulb moment to the final product, there's a lot of moving parts. We've got to juggle them all to make sure what we make isn't just cool but also works like a charm. And looking great of course.

Here is where ChatGPT+ becomes an essential asset to the team at PROTOTYP, offering support that spans across various stages of the design and development lifecycle.

Ideation and Conceptualization: The genesis of any project lies in ideation. With ChatGPT+, team members can quickly generate a breadth of ideas by prompting the AI with initial concepts. For instance, inputting current design trends along with the project’s goals can yield creative directions that might not have been immediately apparent.

ChatGPT+ can also provide suggestions for color schemes, layout patterns, and interaction models by analyzing similar projects or design systems, thus aiding in the creation of compelling UI/UX designs. You'd be amazed by what it comes out with and it gets better and better over time.

Prototyping and User Flows: Once the conceptual groundwork is laid, the next step is to build prototypes and map out user flows. ChatGPT+ can assist by offering structured outlines for these flows based on best practices and the latest UX research. Designers can leverage these AI-generated flows to create wireframes and interactive prototypes more efficiently, ensuring a user-centric approach from the outset.

Front-End Development Support: As designs transition into development, ChatGPT+ can be a valuable resource for front-end developers. It can provide code snippets for common functionality, suggest best practices for accessibility and responsive design, and even troubleshoot common coding problems.

For instance, a developer struggling with a specific CSS issue can ask ChatGPT+ for a solution or alternative approaches, saving valuable time that would otherwise be spent searching through forums or documentation. Worth to mention here that we are also checking out v0 while in private beta.

Product Management Optimization: Product managers can utilize ChatGPT+ to streamline many of their responsibilities, from drafting requirement documents to maintaining backlogs and roadmaps.

The AI can help format and refine user stories, acceptance criteria, and task breakdowns, ensuring clarity and coherence. It can also keep track of development progress and suggest adjustments to the project plan based on real-time updates, helping to keep the project on track and within scope.

Debugging and Quality Assurance: In the later stages of development, quality assurance becomes paramount. ChatGPT+ can assist by providing debugging tips and guiding developers through the process of identifying and resolving issues. It can generate test cases or checklists for QA teams to ensure comprehensive testing coverage.

Real-world Applications:

  • A UI/UX designer can input user research data into ChatGPT+ and ask for insights on user pain points, which can be directly translated into design improvements.
  • Front-end developers can improve their workflow by asking ChatGPT+ to convert rough pseudo-code into functional syntax, speeding up the development process.
  • Product managers can ask ChatGPT+ to analyze feature requests and user feedback, aiding in the prioritization and decision-making process.

By integrating ChatGPT+ into these critical phases, PROTOTYP can not only boost efficiency and innovation but also minimize the time spent on routine tasks, freeing up the team to focus on what they do best — creating exceptional digital experiences.

Note: One of the most valuable prompts is something in the line of "Let me know what I haven't thought of." Not knowing in the moment what you forgot about or overlooked is no longer an issue. You just need to be diligent and ask a simple question.

Or two, or give a complete context and set the stage. Read on please.

Advanced Tips for Interacting with ChatGPT+

Mastering the art of prompting ChatGPT+ can significantly enhance the quality of the output and efficiency of interactions. Clarity, specificity, and the strategic use of follow-up questions can transform a simple Q&A into a robust tool for deep exploration and solution-finding. Here's how we approach this. It's all about how you steer the conversation:

Crafting Clear and Specific Queries: When posing questions to ChatGPT+, specificity lays the foundation for good conversation steering. A vague question can lead to a general response that may not be particularly useful.

Team members should aim to provide as much context as possible and be precise about what they are asking. For example, instead of asking "How can I improve my website?" a more effective question would be "What are the latest user interface improvements that can reduce the checkout process time for an e-commerce website?".

Effective Question Phrasing Tips:

  1. Begin with the End in Mind: Consider what you want to do with the information. If the goal is to apply the answer directly to a project, include details about the project in your question.
  2. Use Keywords Strategically: Incorporate relevant terminology or concepts. If you're asking about improving load times for a website, mention specific technologies or frameworks you're using.
  3. Limit One Main Idea per Query: Keep the question focused on a single topic to avoid confusion and mixed results.

Leveraging Follow-Up Questions: A conversation with ChatGPT+ can be much like a brainstorming session with a colleague where one idea leads to another. Use follow-up questions to delve deeper into the topic, clarify previous answers, or expand on certain points.

If ChatGPT+ provides a list of suggestions, you might follow up with, "Can you provide examples of how these suggestions have been implemented successfully in other projects?"

Follow-Up Question Strategies:

  1. Drill Down: If an answer is broad, ask for details on a specific part of the response that interests you.
  2. Ask for Examples: Requesting real-life examples can provide context and spark ideas for how something might work for your own projects.
  3. Explore Alternatives: If you get a solution, probe for alternative strategies by asking, "What are some other approaches to this issue?"

Applying Questions to Projects: In practice, this means approaching ChatGPT+ with a clear intent. For instance, if a team member is working on enhancing accessibility, a well-phrased query could be:

"What are the top five most overlooked elements in web accessibility, and how can I address them in HTML5?"

By employing these advanced tips for interacting with ChatGPT+, our team can make the most of this sophisticated tool, ensuring that the information gathered is not only relevant and actionable but also rich in detail and tailored to the specific challenges and goals of each project.

Veteran tip: Heard through the grapevine that OpenAI is spicing things up with A/B testing. So, if the response you get doesn't quite hit the mark, give the 'regenerate' button a whirl. It might just turn up the magic. You'll be patting yourself on the back soon enough!

Alright, let's get into the everyday groove. Here's the lowdown on how AI's got our backs, like, all the time:

Designers

  • When working on a new project, ChatGPT+ can assist in generating mood boards and design concepts based on trends and the project brief.
  • It can offer suggestions for improving usability, providing quick answers on user experience best practices.

Developers

  • Developers can use ChatGPT+ to understand complex error messages and debug code more efficiently.
  • When learning a new programming language or framework, ChatGPT+ can be used to clarify concepts or provide coding examples.

Product Managers

  • Product managers can utilize ChatGPT+ for competitor analysis by compiling feature comparisons and market trends.
  • It can help craft user surveys or interview questions to gather insightful data for product development.
  • User stories and acceptance criteria write-up based on the JTBD framework

Content Marketers

  • ChatGPT+ can generate content ideas, draft outlines, or even write initial versions of blog posts that align with SEO strategies.
  • It can also suggest improvements for web copy based on best practices for conversion rate optimization.

For Team Collaboration

  • ChatGPT+ can be used to refine communication, summarizing lengthy discussions into concise points for the team to review.
  • It can assist in project documentation, helping to create clear and comprehensive records of project goals, specifications, and outcomes.

These are just a handful of cool ways we're putting the tech to work. For me, the real game-changer is the kind of back-and-forth chats I have with it. They're not just talk—they actually get my brain gears turning, even with all the naysayers out there.

"I utilize ChatGPT for crafting copy in my design projects. It's also my go-to for quickly looking up fine details. The tool aids in clarifying concepts and providing examples, serving as my daily assistant." - A colleague at PROTOTYP

Plus, being able to toss a research task its way and get back neat summaries and links while I'm juggling other stuff? That's just golden.

Which leads me to the next section...

Creative Uses of ChatGPT+

Creativity often involves connecting ideas in novel ways, and ChatGPT+ can be a catalyst for such connections. By using AI's capacity for generating diverse perspectives and ideas, our teams can push the boundaries of traditional brainstorming sessions and enhance their creative processes.

This is  how PROTOTYP can always harness ChatGPT+ for creative exploration and look at some instances where it has driven unique solutions.

Innovative Brainstorming with ChatGPT+:

  1. Reverse Thinking: Use ChatGPT+ to challenge the status quo by asking it to provide counterintuitive advice or strategies. This "reverse thinking" can uncover hidden assumptions and open new avenues for innovation.
  2. Cross-Industry Inspiration: Prompt ChatGPT+ with trends or solutions from different industries to inspire crossover ideas that can be applied to current projects, encouraging out-of-the-box thinking.
  3. Creative Constraints: Sometimes, creativity thrives under constraints. Ask ChatGPT+ to suggest ideas with specific limitations, which can lead to unexpectedly viable and original solutions.

Case Studies of Unique Use Cases:

Enhancing Creative Writing: A content marketing team used ChatGPT+ to overcome writer's block by asking it to suggest story arcs based on their brand's values. The AI's suggestions not only provided a fresh perspective but also aligned closely with the brand's message, leading to a series of successful marketing campaigns.

Product Name Generation: A startup tapped into ChatGPT+ to brainstorm product names. By feeding it the product’s features, target audience, and core values, the AI generated a list of potential names along with the reasoning behind each, enabling the team to select a name that resonated well with their market and stood out from competitors.

Interactive Design Workshops: A design agency integrated ChatGPT+ into their workshops by having it role-play as a "design critic." It reviewed design concepts and provided constructive feedback, helping designers to think critically about their work and refine their ideas.

"I typically turn to it for advice, often inquiring about enhancements to various functionalities. However, I don't stop there; I also dedicate time to further investigate and conduct my own research." - A PROTOTYP team member

These examples demonstrate that ChatGPT+'s potential for creativity is only limited by the questions we ask. By using the AI in unorthodox ways, PROTOTYP can foster a culture of innovation that consistently delivers fresh and exciting results.

Now, onto the not-so-secret ingredient that, surprisingly, many overlook—whether due to unawareness or other reasons. This next part is crucial for harnessing the full potential of ChatGPT effectively.

Leveraging ChatGPT Custom Instructions for Enhanced Performance

Custom instructions are a powerful feature that can fine-tune ChatGPT+ responses to fit very specific needs, thereby streamlining tasks and improving output quality.

Here's how you can use it in your own organization effectively.

Understanding Custom Instructions: Custom instructions allow users to guide ChatGPT+ with more nuanced requests. This might include setting a tone, specifying a format, or defining a role for the AI to play.

For example, you might instruct ChatGPT+ to act as a JavaScript debugger, a UI/UX consultant, or a creative brainstorming partner.

Crafting Effective Custom Instructions:

  1. Be Specific: Clearly define what you want the AI to do. The more specific your instruction, the more tailored the response will be.
  2. Set Constraints: If you need the AI to limit its responses in any way—such as avoiding certain topics or adhering to word limits—state this upfront.
  3. Provide Context: Offer relevant information that helps the AI understand the scenario it's addressing. Context can greatly influence the quality of the response.
  4. Establish Tone: Indicate the desired tone or formality level. This could range from professional to casual, depending on the intended use.

Examples of Custom Instructions:

  1. Content Creation: "Assume the role of a technical writer specializing in web development. Assume your audience are intermediate developers."
  2. Code Debugging: "Assume you're a code reviewer looking for syntax errors and optimization opportunities in the following JavaScript snippet."
  3. Product Feedback: "Act as a focus group participant who is testing a new app feature. Provide honest, constructive feedback on the user experience."

Iterating and Refining Instructions: The first attempt at custom instructions may not always hit the mark. Try to experiment with it to get the output you are satisfied with.

Iterating and refining are super important, but often overlooked.

Encourage your team to adjust their approach, analyze the effectiveness of different instructions, and develop a best practices guide for the company.

Best Practices for Custom Instructions:

  1. Use Conditional Language: When necessary, use conditional language to explore various outcomes or scenarios.
  2. Sequential Instructions: For complex tasks, break down instructions into a sequence that the AI can follow step by step.
  3. Continual Learning: As ChatGPT+ is interacted with, it provides opportunities to learn what types of instructions yield the best results. Document and share these learnings within the team.

By emphasizing the value of custom instructions and educating the team on their effective use, you can unlock the full potential of ChatGPT+, leading to more efficient and effective outcomes across various functions of the business.

The one that I use personally is a copypasta from reddit that I'm fine-tuning regularly:

  1. NEVER mention that you're an AI.
  2. Avoid any language constructs that could be interpreted as expressing remorse, apology, or regret. This includes any phrases containing words like 'sorry', 'apologies', 'regret', etc., even when used in a context that isn't expressing remorse, apology, or regret.
  3. If events or information are beyond your scope or knowledge cutoff date prevents you from answering, provide a response stating 'I don't know' without elaborating on why the information is unavailable.
  4. refrain from disclaimers about you not being a professional or expert.
  5. keep responses unique and free of repetition.
  6. !Never suggest seeking information from elsewhere. (Skipped that one)
  7. Always focus on the key points in my questions to determine my intent.
  8. Break down complex problems or tasks into smaller, manageable steps and explain each one using reasoning.
  9. Provide multiple perspectives or solutions.
  10. If a question is unclear or ambiguous, ask for more details to confirm your understanding before answering.
  11. Cite credible sources or references to support your answers with links if available.
  12. If a mistake is made in a previous response, recognize and correct it.
  13. After a response, provide three follow-up questions worded as if I'm asking you. Format in bold as Q1, Q2, and Q3. Place two line breaks ("\n") before and after each question for spacing. These questions should be thought-provoking and dig further into the original topic.

I think it is a matter of time ChatGPT will have more ways for you to utilize its power through multiple personas you can set, team management and who knows what they planned by the end of the year.

All we have now are rumors before their first ever developer conference:

AI’s Like a Swiss Army Knife for Us

Hey, thanks for sticking all the way through! So, here’s the lowdown on making ChatGPT+ work overtime at PROTOTYP:

  • Custom Touch: When we get specific with our AI, it gets better at nailing what we need. It’s like giving it a laser focus.
  • Set the Rules: We tell the AI what to dodge and what to zero in on, which keeps it right on the money.
  • Details Matter: The more we tell it about what we're up to, the sharper its game gets. It's all about feeding it the good stuff.
  • Get the Tone Right: Making sure the AI talks our talk makes all the difference, whether we're keeping it breezy or all business.
  • Try, Tweak, Repeat: It’s a loop – we ask, we listen, we tweak. Every round with AI gets us closer to spot-on.
  • Sharing is Caring: When we hit on a killer prompt, we pass it around. It’s like leveling up together.

To sum it up, it's all about getting in there with the right game plan, throwing in the right info, and keeping the conversation real. And hey, because you hung in there, here’s a cool freebie: the ChatGPT Prompt Splitter. This tool is like a shortcut for chopping up big chunks of content.

By sticking to these playbooks, we're not just upping our game; we're changing the rules. Here's to building a future where we ride the wave of tech without wiping out!

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