Start with a community idea
What would you
love to make?
Begin with an idea that excites you. Explore the possibilities, imagine who might enjoy it, and make a first version with your agent.
Start with a spark of curiosity
Think about something you enjoy, a subject you want to explore, or a creation you would love to share. It could be a playful experiment, a useful tool, or a new way for people to discover something you care about.
Imagine a map of your favourite walks, a game inspired by your local history, or a tool for planning a community celebration. Tell your agent what interests you and ask it to explore a few possibilities with you.
Share the idea with someone who might enjoy it. Ask what they would be curious to try. Their enthusiasm and suggestions can give you a fresh direction.
Choose one useful outcome
Keep the first version focused. A project that does one thing clearly is easier to explain, test, and share.
Example: a community supply calculator
“Our volunteer group prepares activity packs. I want people to enter the number of participants and see the quantity of each item to bring.”
That gives an agent a concrete job. It also gives you a way to check the result: enter a known participant count and compare the quantities with your existing checklist.
Save extra ideas for later. Accounts, messaging, payments, and personal records can add significant work. Include a feature in the first version only if the main task depends on it.
Give your agent a clear brief
Use this structure in a conversation with your agent. Replace the bracketed parts with your own situation.
I’d love to create [my idea] for [the people I want to share it with].
I’m inspired by [an interest, experience, or possibility]. In the first version, people should be able to [something to try, discover, or do].
It should use [information or examples I can provide] and show [the result people need].
Keep the first version simple. Start by explaining the proposed experience and the assumptions you are making. Then build a version I can try.
We will know it works when [a specific example produces the expected result].
The brief is a conversation starter. Ask the agent to explain unclear choices in ordinary language. If its description does not match your idea, correct the direction before it builds more.
Bring examples from the real task
Give your agent a few representative examples. For a calculator, supply the rules and a worked result. For a resource finder, supply a small list of verified resources and the information people need about each one.
Use public, invented, or suitably anonymised examples while trying the idea. Do not include other people’s private records just to make a demonstration realistic.
For a resource finder, ask the agent to preserve source links and clearly distinguish missing information. It should not invent opening hours, contact details, or eligibility rules to fill a gap.
Decide how you will try it
Write down three things to test before the first build:
- A normal example, with the result you expect.
- An incomplete or mistaken entry, such as a blank field.
- A small-screen experience, like opening the tool on a phone.
These checks give you and your agent a shared target. You can add more as you learn from the first version.
You are ready to begin when you can describe the audience, the main task, and one way to tell whether the result is useful.