It’s All About That Prompt...

You know that feeling when you have a massive project looming, and your timeline is shorter than a TikTok trend?

That was the energy I brought into my latest project. I set out to build a comprehensive, highly interactive course—"Copilot for Beginners: Use AI to Work Smarter, Safer, and Faster"—and I wanted to see just how much I could push the boundaries of rapid development without sacrificing the "WOW" factor.

The Secret Sauce: It's All About That Prompt

To get this done, I lived by a new mantra (apologies to Meghan Trainor):

"Because you know I'm all about that prompt, 'bout that prompt, no trouble..."

Let’s be real: teaching AI to beginners is 10% explaining what it is and 90% convincing them that "Please do the thing" is not a valid prompt. The core of this course is dedicated to the art of the ask. I wanted to show learners that if you treat your prompt like a bad text to an ex—vague, confusing, and full of typos—the AI is going to ghost your expectations. 👻

By focusing on high-quality prompting with Claude AI, I’ve been able to move from concept to a bespoke, custom-coded experience at lightning speed.

It’s a bit of "prompt-ception"—using expert prompts to build a course that teaches people how to be expert prompters. What usually takes a massive development cycle is coming together faster than I ever thought possible.

How I’m Building It (The Tech Stack)

I decided to forgo the standard Rise 360 blocks entirely for this one. I wanted a 100% custom feel, so here is the "special ops" toolkit I used instead:

• The Framework: Everything is built using the </> Code block and Project blocks. For those who haven't tinkered with it, the Project block is a total game-changer—it allows you to upload zipped files (like a video with a custom wrapper or a self-contained web interaction) directly into the lesson.
• The Custom Visuals: I’m utilizing Custom blocks to build my own unique visuals from scratch. This gives me total creative control over the aesthetic, ensuring that every chart, diagram, and layout perfectly aligns with the Copilot branding rather than relying on generic templates.
• The Custom Flair: By using the </> Code block, I’m injecting custom HTML and CSS to create a UI that feels completely unique. No "Rise-standard" buttons here!
• The Digital Mentor: Instead of just text on a screen, I’ve integrated an AI Avatar. This virtual guide walks beginners through the nuances of AI safety and security, making the learning path feel more personal and a lot less robotic.
• The Brains: Claude AI is my creative partner. I’m using it to "vibe code" the custom interactions, refining the UI/UX in real-time until the functionality is snappy and intuitive.

Why Speed Doesn't Kill Quality

Building "Smarter, Safer, and Faster" isn't just the course title; it’s the philosophy behind the build. Using AI to handle the heavy lifting of the code means I can focus my energy on the instructional design—ensuring the "Safer" part of the Copilot training actually sticks.

What Do You Think?

I’m still tinkering with the final transitions and polishing the edges, but I wanted to share the process with the community.

• How are you all using Project blocks to bring in external zipped assets?
• Are you experimenting with Custom blocks for your visuals, or sticking to the Rise defaults?
• How are you teaching "prompt engineering" to people who still struggle with "Ctrl+Alt+Delete"?

Drop your thoughts below—I’m all ears (and all about those prompts)! 😆

 

 

Copilot for Beginners: Use AI to Work Smarter, Safer, and Faster