Exploring an idea
with an AI agent

Explore the idea together

Tell your agent what you imagine, what you love about the idea, and what you are curious to try. Ask it to suggest a few directions. You can combine them, change them, or discover a new direction as you go.

Begin with the idea brief. Ask the agent to describe what a person will see and do, which information it needs, and what it expects to happen when something goes wrong.

If the explanation becomes too technical, ask for a plain-language description of the choice and its effect on users. You should be able to understand the experience you are approving.

Ask for something you can try early

Build a small version of the main task before adding more features. A preview gives you something concrete to react to.

Try the result as a new user would. Can you tell what it is for? Does the main action work? Does the tool explain what to do next? A convincing appearance is only one part of a useful result.

Ask the agent to identify any feature that is only a visual demonstration. A form that appears to submit, for example, may not store or send anything yet.

Shape it as you go

Specific feedback helps the agent make a useful change. Describe what you tried, what happened, and what you expected.

For a supply calculator: “When I enter zero participants, the page still shows supplies to bring. Please show a clear empty result and explain that a positive number is needed.”

For a resource finder: “The list is hard to scan on my phone. Put the place name, the main activity, and the source link together so I can compare entries.”

Make one or a few related changes at a time, then try the result again. Keep a short list of later ideas so the first useful version does not disappear under extra features.

Check the work with examples you understand

Use the examples you prepared in your brief. Verify calculations, links, labels, and factual information yourself. Ask the agent to explain how it arrived at a result when you are unsure.

• Try a normal input and check the expected output.
• Try a blank or invalid input and look for a helpful response.
• Open it at a phone-sized width.
• Ask another person to complete the main task without your explanation.
• Check that any content presented as factual has a reliable source.

If the tool would influence a serious decision, bring in the appropriate expertise before sharing it as something others can rely on. Choose a modest first project where you can confidently judge the result.

Ask for a useful handover

Before publishing, ask your agent for a short explanation you can keep:

Save that explanation with the project. It helps you return to the work later, ask another agent for help, and describe the tool accurately to its first users.

The next step is to share a checked version with a small group and learn from their experience.