Beyond the prompt: Part 2 - 4 tips to boost your collaboration with Gemini

Welcome back to Beyond the prompt, our new series with actionable tips to get the most out of Gemini for Google Workspace. If you missed our first post, check out the four main areas to consider when writing a prompt.

After you’ve practiced writing prompts that include the four areas (persona, task, context, format) you can begin using the four best practices below to further elevate your collaboration with AI.

Getting started with Gemini for Workspace with four quick tips

1. Use natural language. Write as if you’re speaking to another person. Express complete thoughts in full sentences.

2. Be specific and iterate. Tell Gemini for Workspace what you need it to do (summarize, write, change the tone, create, etc.). Provide as much context as possible.

3. Be concise and avoid complexity. State your request in brief — but specific — language. Avoid jargon.

4. Make it a conversation. Fine-tune your prompts if the results don’t meet your expectations or if you believe there’s room for improvement. Use follow-up prompts and an iterative process of review and refinement to yield better results.

Make the work your own

You’ll likely need to try a few different approaches for your prompt if you don’t get your desired outcome the first time. Based on what we’ve learned during our Workspace Labs program, the most successful prompts average around 21 words, yet the prompts that people try without knowing this are often short — usually less than nine words.

As an example: Imagine you’re getting ready to launch a coffee shop and video game cafe. Congratulations! Now, you need to kick-start the creative process by developing a visual identity. You decide to chat with Gemini at gemini.google.com.

You type:

Generate ideas for a creative and eye-catching logo for my new business, a coffee shop combined with a video game cafe. Generate a logo considering the following:

Dual Concept: The logo needs to clearly signal both the coffee and gaming aspects of the business without being too cluttered.

Target Audience: Appeal to a wide range of gamers (casual and enthusiast), as well as coffee lovers seeking a unique hangout spot.

Style Options: I’m open to these approaches — let’s get a few examples in each of these three styles to compare: Modern and Playful: Bold colors, fun graphics, maybe a pixel art aesthetic. Retro-Cool: Think classic arcade style — chunky lettering, neon color inspiration. Sleek and Minimalist: Clean lines, geometric shapes, a more subtle nod to both themes.

Gemini provides helpful images to boost your creativity, and now you can continue your brainstorming. As always, remember to review all outputs from Gemini for Workspace to ensure relevancy, accuracy, and clarity. Generative AI is meant to help humans, but the final output is yours. 

Can’t wait for the next post in the series? Download the Prompting guide 101 ebook and get started with Gemini for Workspace today.