Description: getting your point across

What you write to the assistant is called a . You don’t need a magic formula: you need to explain yourself as you would to a capable person who doesn’t know you.

You’ll see the difference right away

Write an email to my boss.

Subject: Update

Dear [Name],

I am writing to update you on ongoing projects. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Kind regards

Generic answer: the AI doesn’t know why you’re writing, to whom, or in what tone. It had to guess.

Write a short email to my boss, Mark, asking to work from home on Friday because a technician is coming to fix the boiler. We’re on informal, first-name terms. 5 lines max.

Subject: Working from home Friday?

Hi Mark,
a technician is coming to fix my boiler on Friday: would it be OK if I worked from home? I’ll be reachable on chat and phone as usual.

Thanks a lot,
Julia

Ready-to-use answer: the AI knew who, what, why, what tone and how long.

The ingredients of a good request

You don’t need all of them every time. But the more important the task, the more ingredients are worth adding.

Your request

Give me ideas for a dinner. I have 6 friends over on Saturday, two are vegetarian. I want a full menu I can prepare in advance, so I can enjoy the evening. Budget is 60 € max, no oven because it’s broken. Give me the menu as a list, then a shopping list grouped by aisle. Answer like a practical, friendly cook. If you’re missing any information, ask me before answering.

Request quality: Generic

Possible answer

Here are some ideas:
- Lasagna
- Roast chicken
- Mushroom risotto
- Tiramisu

The three things to describe

The 4D framework splits Description into three parts:

Product — what you want: format, length, tone, audience.
Process — how it should work on it: “ask me questions first”, “think step by step”, “give me 3 alternatives”.
Performance — what kind of partner you want: “be critical and direct”, “explain it as to a beginner”.

5 habits that make the difference

1. Give examples

If you have an example of what you like, show it. “Write a caption for this photo in the same style as these two I’ve already posted: [example 1], [example 2].”

2. Ask it to ask you questions

One of the most useful requests of all: “Before answering, ask me the questions you need.” The AI will help you clarify things you hadn’t thought of.

3. Break big tasks down

Instead of “organise my house move”, go in stages: first the to-do list, then the schedule, then the messages to send.

4. Don’t settle for the first answer

A chat is a conversation: you can always say “shorter”, “less formal”, “point 3 doesn’t convince me, suggest something else”. No need to start over.

5. Write the way you talk

You don’t need “computer language”. Normal, complete sentences work great. Voice works too: many assistants let you dictate.

A formula to remember

If you want a simple reminder, think of these four questions:

Who I am · What I want · How I want it · What to avoid

All-purpose template

Copy it and replace the parts in square brackets.

I am [who you are / your situation].
I’d like [what you need] because [goal].
The answer should be [format, length, tone].
Avoid [what you don’t want].
If you’re missing any information, ask me questions before answering.

1/3 Which request will probably give the best result?