Prompting is everything in the age of vibe coding. Knowing how to guide AI precisely and efficiently is the key to getting the results you want. Today, I m sharing some of my favorite prompting tips, plus a handy cheatsheet I put together.

Prompting Tips That Actually Work

• Be spatially specific. Use keywords like "left", "right", "centered", "aligned to bottom", "spaced evenly" to help the model place elements correctly.

• Mention device behavior. If it should behave differently on mobile vs desktop, say so. Ex: "stacks on mobile, grid on desktop".

• Use visual vocabulary. Mention familiar UI terms like "modal", "toast", "card", "hero section", or "split view" to tap into known design structures.

• Give UX intent. Add the why: "Add white space for readability", "Add a hover effect for feedback", "Use a progress bar to show completion".

• Sequence your ideas. For complex prompts, list in steps: "First, add a header. Below that, place a form with two inputs...". AI loves structure.

• Say what not to do. If you want to avoid scrollbars, animations, shadows, etc., say so.

• Don t forget empty states. Great design considers what happens when nothing is there say "show a placeholder when list is empty".

• Test prompt variants. Swap words like "tile" vs "card", "modal" vs "popup" to see which gives cleaner structure.

• Use active voice. Start with a verb: "Add", "Place", "Make", "Create", "Animate", "Style". It helps guide generation.