Instruction design and structured outputs · Module 1: Instruction design and structured outputs in practice
Turn a vague request into an acceptance test
Learning outcome: Describe success before asking for a draft.
“Make this better” gives a model little basis for choosing which changes matter. A useful brief states who will use the result, what they must be able to do and what facts must survive editing. Acceptance criteria are observable checks, such as preserving an amount or including an unanswered question.
Separate essential constraints from preferences. A friendly tone can be negotiable; changing the cancellation date cannot. Keep the criteria short enough to inspect. Ask for uncertainty to remain visible instead of requiring a complete-looking answer regardless of missing information. You can then evaluate a draft against the same brief that produced it.
Worked example
A fictional team needs an outage notice. “Write something professional” produces a confident repair time that nobody has approved. A testable brief says: acknowledge the outage, state that the cause is being investigated, give the next update time of 14:00 and do not promise restoration. The reader now has a concrete next step without a false assurance.
Try it yourself
Rewrite “make this update better” using the outage facts above. Include two factual checks and one reader-action check. Then write a deliberately failing example.
You can do this exercise on paper. If using an assistant, keep to the fictional material and an approved tool.
Compare your approach
The failing example might promise recovery by 14:00. The brief must distinguish a status update time from a restoration commitment. That distinction is more important than whether the prose sounds polished.
Check your understanding
Which criterion is easiest to verify?
- States the next update is at 14:00 without promising recovery
- Sounds extremely professional
- Feels more reassuring than the previous version
Show the answer and explanation
Answer: States the next update is at 14:00 without promising recovery. The update time and absence of a recovery promise can be checked against the brief. Terms such as professional and reassuring are subjective unless defined with concrete criteria.
Workbook
Download the course workbook to record your answer and compare it after the knowledge check.