Framework
CREATE
The question it answers
When a marketing manager briefs an AI chatbot for a first draft, which six parts should the prompt spell out so the answer needs fewer rounds of correction?
- Origin
- Birss, 2023
- Diagram type
- Process by phase
- Level of analysis
- Individual
- Topics
- AI for leaders
Diagram
CREATE
- CREATE
- CharacterThe role the AI plays: an expert, a celebrity, an artist. Open with a sentence that makes the role clear.
- RequestThe task you want done. The clearer it is, the better the chance of a good answer; add information where needed.
- ExamplesNames or samples the AI can draw inspiration from. Lists work particularly well.
- AdjustmentsExtra statements that shape the output once you see what is off, such as the units to use or what not to do.
- Type of outputHow the answer is formatted: paragraphs, bullets, tables, poems, scripts, plus length and a plain-English, no-jargon level if needed.
- ExtrasPhrases that make the prompt work better, such as telling the AI to ask you questions before it answers or to explain its thinking.
When to use it, and when not to
Use it when
Use it as a checklist when briefing a chatbot; Birss wrote it for ChatGPT. If you are unsure what the AI needs to know, he suggests telling it to ask you questions before it answers, rather than writing a bloated prompt.
Pitfalls
Pitfall
A chat carries earlier messages forward, and the AI often draws on them. When you change tack, Birss suggests opening the prompt with a phrase telling it to ignore everything before, for a clean slate.
Sources
References
Listed A–Z by author surname, Harvard style. A source with a DOI links to https://doi.org/…; one without links to its page or says plainly that it has no DOI.
- Birss, D. (2023) The prompt collection. Dave Birss (Course handout for the LinkedIn Learning course 'How to research and write using generative AI tools').No DOIdavebirss.comSource page