Think of it like briefing a new hire
Imagine someone brilliant started at your company today. They're smart, but they know nothing about your situation, your history, or what you care about.
You'd have to explain the project from scratch. You'd give them background, show them examples of past work, tell them what a good result looks like.
That's exactly how to think about prompting AI. The AI is that brilliant new hire — and your prompt is the briefing.
The TCRIE framework
Tina Huang teaches a five-part framework to build a great prompt. The mnemonic is: Tiny Crabs Ride Enormous Iguanas.
Each letter stands for one ingredient: Task, Context, References, Evaluate, Iterate. Together they cover almost everything a good prompt needs.
Tiny Crabs Ride Enormous Iguanas = Task · Context · References · Evaluate · Iterate
C is for Context
Context is the background the AI needs to help you properly. The more you give, the better the results.
Bad: "Write a bio for me." Better: "Write a 3-sentence bio for me. I'm a freelance graphic designer, 5 years of experience, I work mainly with small food businesses, and my tone is friendly and approachable."
You're not overwhelming the AI with context — you're giving it what it needs to stop guessing.
R is for References
AI is very good at pattern matching. Show it an example of what you want and it will try to match that pattern.
If you want an email written in a certain style, paste in an old email you liked. If you want a logo description, describe one you love. Examples beat long descriptions every time.
Paste in a sample output you like and say 'write something in this style.' That single move upgrades almost any prompt instantly.
Tell it what you DON'T want
One powerful extra move: introduce constraints. Tell the AI what to avoid, not just what to include.
"Write a product description — no buzzwords, no exclamation marks, under 80 words." Constraints help the AI narrow its focus.
Think of constraints as guardrails. Without them, the AI roams freely and often wanders somewhere you didn't want to go.
Putting it all together
A strong prompt has a clear task, enough context for the AI to understand your situation, and at least one constraint or example to guide the style.
You don't need all five TCRIE pieces every time. Even adding just one — context, or one example — makes a noticeable difference.
Quick template: [Task]. [1-2 sentences of context]. [One example or one constraint]. That's often all you need.
Reframe the task if you're stuck
Sometimes the words you use box the AI in. If "help me write a speech" gives vague results, try "help me write a short story that illustrates [your topic]." The same idea, reframed, can unlock much better answers.
There's no single right way to ask. Experimenting with how you phrase things is part of learning to use AI well.
Task: [what you want AI to do] Context: [1-2 sentences about your situation and who it's for] Format: Give me [a short paragraph / 3 bullet points / a numbered list] Constraints: [what to avoid — e.g. no jargon, keep it under 100 words, don't use exclamation marks]