The Power of the Prompt: How FFD is Using Prompt Engineering to Deliver Specialised AI Solutions

Like the rest of the world, the team at Fat Fish Digital is excited about the rapid advancements in AI technology. We've seen a surge in clients seeking AI-driven solutions, and we're motivated to keep our skills on the cutting edge of AI development to continue delivering exceptional results that stand the test of time. One aspect of our AI-integrated projects that our team has particularly enjoyed mastering is prompt engineering.

What is a Prompt?

When working with AI, a prompt is a question or request that we pose to the AI model. Prompt engineering involves refining prompts to coax the model into providing the desired response. Prompt engineering is necessary to ensure the AI model generates accurate, relevant, and useful responses by effectively guiding its thinking through well-crafted requests. The process of prompt engineering increases the consistency and the overall quality of the final output.

The model’s response to a prompt can be improved by making prompts more specific and detailed; this helps guide the AI towards generating more accurate and relevant responses. Including clear context and explicit instructions within the prompt, further enhances the quality of the output. Through using a variety of AI models, the team at Fat Fish has noticed that providing examples within a prompt can significantly improve the quality and precision of the generated responses.

The example below demonstrates the progressive benefits of prompt engineering in image creation, using a bowl of fruit as a case study. The leftmost image was generated without prompt engineering, the middle image with minimal prompt engineering, and the final image with a highly detailed prompt. This comparison illustrates the crucial role of prompt engineering in enhancing AI-generated images.

AI-generated fruit bowls with no prompt engineering (a.), minimal prompt engineering (b.), and a highly engineered prompt (c.). See below for the prompts used.

a.) Draw a fruit bowl on a table.

b.) Create a detailed, close-up view of a fruit bowl on a rustic wooden table. The bowl is the main focus.

c.) Create a detailed, close-up view of a fruit bowl on a rustic wooden table. The bowl is the main focus, filled with an assortment of vibrant, fresh fruits such as red and green apples, yellow bananas, bright oranges, clusters of purple and green grapes, and a ripe pineapple. The fruits should look luscious and inviting, with detailed textures and natural imperfections. The table surface is slightly worn, with a natural wood grain that adds character to the scene. Natural sunlight streams in from a window, casting soft, warm light and gentle shadows that enhance the colours and textures of the fruits. The background is blurred to keep the attention on the fruit bowl, with hints of a cozy kitchen environment, including out-of-focus potted plants and kitchen utensils. The overall atmosphere is warm and welcoming.

Temperature

Temperature is a metric that ChatGPT uses to measure how creatively the model interprets a prompt. The temperature is a value between 0 and 1; a higher temperature value (e.g. 0.8) produces more diverse and creative outputs, while a lower temperature yields more focused and literal responses.

For creative tasks like storytelling or brainstorming, a higher temperature can generate more varied and imaginative results. At Fat Fish, we used a temperature of 0.7 to create a selection of audio guides as a proof of concept for a client interested in incorporating AI solutions. The combination of a higher temperature and prompt engineering resulted in more engaging audio guides, aligning perfectly with the client's goal of increasing organic user engagement.

Conversely, other client solutions benefited from limiting the model's creativity. With a lower temperature, the model produces more accurate and precise responses, adhering closely to the prompt. This is essential for AI solutions requiring data to be output in a specific format or structure.

To illustrate the impact of temperature, consider the images below, generated with temperatures of 0.1, 0.5, and 1, respectively. The prompt was “Draw a fruit bowl,” and the increasing creativity is clearly visible.

AI-generated fruit bowls with varying temperature settings: 0.1 (a.), 0.5 (b.), and 1 (c.)

Art Styles

In AI-driven design, the ability to leverage diverse art styles offers substantial benefits across various applications. By choosing the right style for each project, we can boost engagement, convey the desired message to users, and meet client goals more effectively. At Fat Fish, we are enjoying exploring how different art styles can be applied to achieve these goals in various contexts.

For applications requiring detailed and accurate representations, such as medical imaging software or e-commerce platforms showcasing products, realism is essential. With a properly engineered prompt and an appropriate temperature setting, the model can generate highly accurate and detailed images in a realistic style.

For products aimed at younger audiences, such as educational apps for children, games, or social media content, a comic style is highly effective. It adds a fun and playful element, enhancing the user experience and meeting client goals for engagement and enjoyment.

With thoughtful prompt engineering, many AI models can imitate familiar art styles, including Impressionism and Surrealism, as well as modern styles like Pop Art or Bauhaus. This capability allows for the creation of dynamic and visually striking backgrounds for websites and in-app designs. Utilising a variety of artistic styles can add depth and interest, particularly for clients aiming to showcase their creativity to their audience.

The images below demonstrate a fruit bowl depicted in realistic, comic, and cubist art styles. The temperature was set to 0.7, and prompt engineering was kept minimal, highlighting the versatility of different artistic approaches.

AI-generated fruit bowls in realistic (a.), comic (b.), and cubist (c.) art styles.

The team at Fat Fish has been enjoying the process of experimenting and developing our shared knowledge with various techniques to deliver great results. It's been rewarding to see our AI solutions effectively meet the diverse needs of our clients.

As we continue to explore the vast potential of AI, we're excited about the future and the endless possibilities it offers. With each project, we not only discover new ways to help our clients achieve their goals but also broaden our own understanding and capabilities. This journey of growth and discovery keeps us motivated, and we look forward to what lies ahead, confident in our ability to adapt and innovate in this rapidly evolving field.