Prompt Engineering: TCREI method

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 isn’t just typing into a box.

It’s a skill that blends clarity, intent, and structure. And the 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁 you bring in, the 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀.

Designers and strategists know this well: when the brief is vague, the output struggles. When it’s rich with nuance and direction, creativity flows.
That’s exactly how prompting works too.

I’ve been taking the Google Prompting Essentials Specialisation on Coursera, and one thing became very clear: your AI collaborator is only as smart as your input is structured.

I learnt a super practical method that mirrors how we already build good design briefs: 𝗧𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗜 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 [Task, Context, References, Evaluation and Iteration].

Here’s how it works:
Let’s say you want ideas for virtual team building activities in a hybrid workplace.
Instead of typing something vague like:
“Give me ideas for remote team building.”

Try this prompt using the TCREI method:
𝗧𝗮𝘀𝗸: Generate creative, non-traditional ideas for virtual team building
𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁: The team is fully remote, working across time zones; engagement has dropped in the past quarter
𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀: The team enjoys pop culture, casual games, and shared storytelling formats like “two truths and a lie”
𝗘𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Ideas should be easy to execute within 30 to 45 minutes, not require high-tech tools, and be inclusive
𝗜𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Offer at least 5 ideas, grouped by energy levels low, medium, high

Full prompt:
“Act as an employee experience strategist. Generate creative, non-traditional virtual team-building activities for a remote team spread across time zones. The team enjoys pop culture, storytelling games, and casual engagement formats. Ideas should last no more than 45 minutes, require minimal setup, and be inclusive across cultures and tech comfort levels. Group suggestions by energy level (low, medium, high), and aim for at least five in total.”
This took the response from generic to actually usable.

When it comes to prompting, 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘁 and 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 greatest 𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲.
More context → Better prompts → Smarter outcomes.