AI – It is everywhere, even in Excalidraw!

Background

AI is one of the current buzzwords in the IT industry, with the growth of LLMs (Large Language Models) such as GPT and image creation utilising models like DALL-E or Midjourney, it is no wonder folks are scrambling to tick the AI box and show integration in their products. However, what I will cover in this blog is something rather useful. Prompt engineering for quick wireframe creation.

If you are wondering what prompt engineering is, or wireframing even, let me indulge you.

Prompt Engineering

The ability to craft a question or prompt in such a way that the response from the platform being asked the questions provides you with the desired result. If we think of something very simple, like trying to get information about the weather, you already do this when searching for it, asking your favourite voice assistant, or plugging into an LLM.

Wireframing

The art of creating a basic Blueprint of how something should look or function. We will cover some examples below.

Excalidraw

If you have not used Excalidraw before, it is a free online drawing/whiteboard tool that allows you to quickly create Visio/Lucid type diagrams via a webpage. I like it as one of its styles mimics free-hand whiteboard drawing. As someone who often uses Exclaidraw to expand upon what a certain topology of something looks like, or how something should interact with something else, being able to write a prompt of what kind of diagram I am trying to create and then it just creates it is magical and such a time saver.

Example

I want to draw a diagram that shows an active directory called snurf.co.uk with 10 organisational units and five users in each OU.

How to get there

Writing a prompt

Reviewing Wireframe in Excalidraw

A closer look

Conclusion

And there you have it, a quick way to create a wireframe using prompt engineering with AI. The output took all of 30 seconds. It would have taken a lot longer to draw that by hand.