Talking to a Computer: Your First AI Coding Prompts
Imagine telling a friend, 'Make me a button that turns red when I click it' — and watching real, working code appear on the screen seconds later. That is 'vibe coding': describing what you want in plain English and letting an AI helper write the code. You don't need to memorize commands. You need to describe your idea clearly, the same way you'd give directions to a new friend.
What You'll Learn
- What a 'prompt' is and why clear prompts get better results - The three parts of a strong coding prompt: goal, details, and example - How to test what the AI builds and ask for fixes - How to spot when a prompt is too vague
What Makes a Prompt Strong
A weak prompt says: 'make a game.' A strong prompt says: 'Make a game where a frog jumps over 3 logs. If the frog touches a log, show Game Over.' The strong version has a goal (a jumping game), a detail (3 logs), and a rule (what happens when you touch one). AI tools are excellent at filling in code, but they can't read your mind — the more specific your words, the closer the first try matches what you pictured. Try this pattern every time: 'I want [a thing] that [does something] when [this happens].' That single sentence structure covers most of what beginner coders need to build simple apps and games with AI help.
Testing and Fixing Together
Nobody gets code perfect on the first try — not even professional programmers. After the AI builds something, click every button and try every rule you asked for. If the frog jumps but doesn't stop at the logs, that's useful information! Tell the AI exactly what went wrong: 'The frog jumps but walks through the logs instead of stopping.' That one sentence helps the AI fix the exact problem instead of guessing.
Good vibe coders don't just say what they want once — they watch what gets built, describe what's wrong in specific words, and ask again. Three rounds of 'try this, fix that' usually beats one giant perfect-sounding prompt.
Vague vs. Clear: A Real Comparison
Vague: 'Make my website look nice.' The AI has to guess your colors, layout, and mood — it might pick something totally different from what you imagined. Clear: 'Make my website's background light blue, put my name in big letters at the top, and add three photo boxes in a row below it.' Now the AI knows exactly what 'nice' means to you: colors, position, and how many boxes.
Which of these is the STRONGEST coding prompt?
After the AI builds your frog-jumping game, the frog jumps but ignores the logs. What should you do next?
Write and Test Three Prompts
Pick a simple app idea (a game, a quiz, or a list). Write three prompts for it: one vague version, one that adds a goal and a detail, and one that adds goal + detail + a rule for what happens on an action (like a click). Read all three out loud and circle the one that gives the clearest picture of what to build. Turn in your three prompts with a one-sentence note on why the third one is strongest.
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