Many of us are already using generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbots, such as Microsoft Copilot, to explore ideas, summarise information, plan work, or support learning. Often this starts quite naturally with short conversational requests such as:
- “Summarise this article.”
- “Help me write an email.”
- “Explain this topic.”
This is a sensible place to begin. Experimenting is part of learning how to use AI effectively.
Vague prompts often lead to disappointing results
One of the biggest reasons people become frustrated with AI tools is that the instructions they give are often too broad, too vague, or missing important context. The AI then has to make assumptions about what you want.
A small amount of structure can make a significant difference.
Clear instructions improve accuracy and usefulness
AI does not understand meaning in the same way humans do. It responds to patterns and information provided in your prompt.
The clearer your instructions are the more likely you are to receive a useful response targeted to your audience and context.
Structured prompts can help you get more relevant answers, reduce misunderstandings and control the tone and format of responses.
BRIEF-F: your guide to writing excellent structured prompts
Get what you need from AI, quicker! BRIEF-F is a simple framework to help you write clearer, more purposeful prompts without needing technical knowledge.
When writing prompts for AI you need to think about:
- Background
- Role
- Intent
- Expectations
- Feel
- Follow-ups
Take this example. You give AI a basic prompt:
- Explain photosynthesis.
This is likely to produce a general explanation, but the AI has no information about who the answer is for, how detailed it should be, or how it will be used.
Try this BRIEF-F structured prompt instead:
- I am a first-year undergraduate biology student preparing for an exam - Background
- Act as a study coach - Role
- Explain photosynthesis in plain English using a simple step-by-step structure - Intent and Expectations
- Keep the explanation under 200 words - Feel
- Then ask me one question to check my understanding - Follow up
This gives the AI context, a role, a clear task, constraints, an intended tone, and a follow-up action. The result is usually far more focused and useful.
Clear thinking and plain language make the best prompts
Like any digital skill, the more you practice writing structured prompts, the better you’ll get at it. Even making small changes to how you instruct an AI chatbot can improve the quality and reliability of its responses.
More resources and support
- BRIEF-F – more information on BRIEF-F can be found here.
- AI Guidance – check out all our AI guidance in one place.
- Digital Backpack: Develop your Digital Skills, including use of AI
- LinkedIn Learning Unlocking Potential: Your Journey with Microsoft Copilot Chat
- Microsoft certificates via LinkedIn Learning including several covering AI
- Writing effective prompts for AI tools: Guiding AI towards generating high-quality and relevant responses