UPE02 - Requesting Structured Outputs for Clarity and Efficiency
This set of exercises discuss prompt engineering techniques. In this lesson, we explore structured outputs as a way to get high-quality information from GenAI.
Define explicit constraints or specify structured output formats (e.g. tables, forms, structured reports) to facilitate further processing or improve clarity of the information.
Analyze messy or structured data using AI
Use AI to create a form or provide example data to fill forms
🛠️ Tools
Why care about structured outputs?
As you saw in earlier exercises, ChatGPT tends to output blobs of text, while Gemini tends to provide bulleted lists that are much easier to read and skim. In many real-world scenarios, unstructured text falls short to deliver the desired insights.
Structured data can be much more useful:
Tables neatly organize data like product catalogs, making it easy to view and compare attributes side-by-side. Much clearer than paragraphs of text.
Structured tickets/reports quickly convey key details in designated sections - customer info, issue summary, status. Ideal for support teams and managers reviewing at a glance.
Forms are used to record customers or internal information in a structured manner so data are neatly stored in databases.
Rather than parsing rambling text, structured outputs provide an organized, scannable format tailored to the specific use case. This clarity streamlines workflows and decision-making.
Working with tables
Asking AI assistants to create tables
I'm a marketing strategist at a company specializing in consumer goods, and I need to plan our content strategy for the next month. We typically publish educational content about product usage, promotional content (e.g., new product launches, special offers), and industry insights. The topics should be relevant to our target audiences, which include families, young professionals, and trend-conscious consumers.
Could you please generate a content calendar as a table with columns for Week, Content Type, Topic, and Target Audience?
Asking AI assistants to summarize information into tables
"I'm a project manager at a consumer goods company. We're developing a new marketing dashboard with a user interface specifically for managing and analyzing our promotional campaigns. This is a single-page app that our marketing team will use to track campaign performance and plan future promotions. Before starting, I need to brainstorm a list of potential features for this marketing dashboard UI.
Can you generate a list of features we should consider including in the marketing dashboard UI? Please describe each feature in a way I can visualize it."
Next say to the AI:
Please turn your answer into a table with the following columns: Feature, Description, Benefits for Operator, and Complexity to Implement (High/Medium/Low).
Structured outputs like tables, forms, and reports are often more useful than unstructured text in real-world scenarios. They provide clarity, organization, and easy scanning of key information tailored to specific use cases.
Asking AI assistants to generate structured outputs, such as content calendars or feature lists for software, can help streamline workflows, decision-making, and data management compared to relying on unstructured text alone.
Transforming messy data and website data into a structured table format can make it much more accessible and insightful for analysis and decision-making.
Working with forms
Ask AI to create a form
I am an HR officer, and we're looking to hire a new Social Media Manager for our marketing team in the consumer goods sector. To streamline the initial screening process, I need to create a Google form that candidates can fill out. This form should capture their background in social media marketing specific to consumer goods, content creation skills for this sector, and understanding of various social platforms used in the industry. Can you help me structure this prescreening form with the necessary sections and questions? Please limit to 3 sections, each section has 3 most informative questions.
Ask for form response samples
I've never filled such a form before, can you give me an example how you might fill it?
Key Lessons Learned
Use AI to help you design comprehensive forms, ensuring you include all relevant, informative fields. And also use AI to generate a response placeholder or sample form-filling information.
