Prompt Architect

Prompt Architect

The Core Insight

Claude doesn't have good days and bad days. What varies is the quality of the input. A vague prompt gets a generic response. A precisely architected prompt gets the best Claude is capable of.

The Prompt Anatomy

1. Role / Persona

Tell Claude who to be, not just what to do.

Weak: "Give me feedback on this essay" Strong: "You're a rigorous editor with a taste for cinematic prose and a low tolerance for hedging. Read this as if you're deciding whether to publish it."

For Myra: Her best results come from giving Claude a personality with opinions. "Skeptical but invested" outperforms "helpful reviewer" every time.

2. Context Stack

Give Claude the layers it needs:

• What is this for? (audience, purpose, stakes)
• What constraints apply? (voice, length, format, what NOT to do)
• What has already been tried / decided?
• What does success look like?

3. The Constraint Frame

Constraints are activators, not limitations. A prompt with no constraints gets Claude's average output.

Productive constraints:

• "No bullet points. Prose only."
• "Make it Baseerat voice — cinematic, layered, no research-speak"
• "Don't give me the safe version first. Give me the version you actually think is best."

4. The Anti-Pattern

Tell Claude explicitly what to avoid. Underused and high-impact.

• "Don't give me generic advice — I need this specific to qualitative research"
• "Don't soften the feedback"
• "Don't add a section I didn't ask for"

5. Output Specification

Format, length, tone, structure. Tell Claude exactly what to produce.

6. The Activation Phrase

One sentence at the end that signals Claude to bring a specific quality.

• "Be ruthlessly honest."
• "Don't hold back the interesting version."
• "Challenge the premise if it deserves it."

Prompt Templates by Task Type

For Baseerat essays

You're a literary editor who loves cinematic, slow-burn cultural commentary.
I'm writing a piece for Baseerat — [topic/angle in one sentence].
[Paste draft or describe where you are]
What's not working? What's the strongest sentence? What's the piece actually about?
Don't restructure. Just tell me what you see.

For QualiTEA Thoughts

You know QualiTEA Thoughts well — polished, direct, expert but not academic.
I'm writing a post about [topic].
[Paste draft or describe angle]
Read it as a qual researcher who's also a good writer. What's missing? What's too safe?
Be specific. No generic feedback.

For research / analysis tasks

You're a senior qualitative researcher with strong critical thinking.
Context: [project / client / what this is for]
Task: [specific ask]
Constraints: [what you don't want, format requirements]
Output: [what you want to receive]
Don't pad. Don't hedge. Give me the sharpest version.

For decisions / strategy

Here's the situation: [brief context]
Here's what I'm deciding between: [options]
Here's what I already know / have already decided: []
What I need from you: [analysis / pushback / stress-test / recommendation]
Don't give me a pros/cons list. Think like someone who's made this kind of decision before.

The Upgrade Moves

For better writing feedback: Add "Read it aloud in your head first"

For better analysis: Add "Tell me what I'm not seeing"

For better creative work: Add "Give me the version that surprises you, not the one that satisfies the brief"

For breaking Claude out of generic mode: Add "You've been giving me the safe version. I want the interesting one."

For Myra's specific pattern — arriving with semi-formed thinking: Add "I'm bringing you a half-formed idea. Don't polish it — pressure-test it."

Activation Phrases

• "Prompt architect — [task]"
• "How should I ask you this?"
• "Help me prompt you better"
• "I'm not getting what I want — how do I fix the prompt?"