Dot One 2024 Workshop: Harnessing the Power of AI in Your Daily Workflow
This article is a companion to our “Harnessing the Power of AI” workshop at the Craft CMS Dot One conference in Toronto in October 2024.
In the session, we split our time between a talk (with slides) and a hands-on look at how real people can use AI to learn faster, research clients and industries, and support sales conversations. This page collects the core ideas, prompts, and resources in one place so you can revisit them—or share them with your team—after the conference.
Want the slides? Download the full slide deck from the Dot One workshop.
What you’ll find here
Our goal is to show how AI tools can become an integral part of your daily workflow—not a shiny distraction you try for a week and forget.
Whether you’re enhancing your learning, conducting client and industry research, supporting your sales process, or rapidly prototyping ideas, these examples are designed to be practical and immediately useful.
Use the outline below to jump to the section you care about most:
Getting started with AI tools
Using AI to help digest information and learn
Using AI to conduct research on clients and industries
Using AI to support the sales process
- Additional AI resources
- FAQs: starting & scaling AI
1. Getting started with AI tools
If you’re completely new to AI tools, the fastest way to start is to pick a single platform—like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, or Gemini—and use it on a task you already do every day.
For most people, that first step is opening a free ChatGPT account. Visit chatgpt.com
If you outgrow the free tier, ChatGPT’s paid plan unlocks faster responses, priority access to new features, higher usage limits, and additional tools like file uploads and advanced model settings. Many teams find that a single pro seat can support an entire group when paired with clear processes and shared prompts.
Sending your first message
When you open a new chat, think of it like messaging a very smart coworker. The more context you give upfront—who you are, what you’re trying to do, and how you’d like the answer formatted—the better the response will be.
A simple first experiment:
- Paste in a short email or document you’re already working on.
- Ask for a clearer version for a specific audience (like a client or non-technical stakeholder).
- Compare the result to your original and decide what you want to keep.
The point isn’t to let AI write everything from scratch—it’s to give yourself a faster path from rough draft to something you’re proud to ship.
- Using AI to help digest information and learn
AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and NotebookLM are especially good at helping you digest complex information, learn new technologies, and keep up with industry trends.
Here are a few patterns you can reuse anytime you’re learning something new.
Summarize technical articles without losing the point
Instead of skimming a dense release note or documentation page, ask your AI tool to summarize it with constraints that match how you actually work.
Example prompt: I've been trying to understand the new features introduced in Craft CMS 5. Summarize the key differences between Craft CMS 4 and Craft CMS 5, focusing on performance improvements and development enhancements. Search the web before you respond, and keep your answer under 10 bullet points.
Learn a new programming language or framework
When you already know one framework, you don’t need a full beginner’s course—you need a translation layer between what you know and what’s new. Give the model that context explicitly.
Example prompt: I'm a developer experienced with the Yii framework used in Craft CMS. I'd like to start learning Laravel. Explain the main differences between Yii and Laravel, show side-by-side code examples where it helps, and recommend a 4-week learning plan with specific resources to follow.
Explain complex concepts in plain language
You can also treat AI as a just-in-time tutor for specific concepts, not whole courses.
Example prompt: Explain how GraphQL works within Craft CMS. Start with a non-technical overview I could share with a stakeholder, then walk through one concrete example query and mutation, including how they would be wired up in a Craft project.
Create “podcast-style” explainers with NotebookLM
Tools like NotebookLM
That’s a powerful way to learn on the go: you can listen to custom “episodes” that explain a topic in your own words, using only the sources you trust.
- Using AI to conduct research on clients and industries
AI tools can help you collect and synthesize background research on potential clients, industry trends, and market data—especially when you pair them with links, PDFs, or structured notes.
One of our favorite tools for this is Perplexity
Generate a client research report
Example prompt: I'm preparing for a meeting with a potential client in the sustainable fashion ecommerce industry. Provide a detailed report on current trends, key competitors, market challenges, and opportunities. Include citations for any statistics you reference and suggest 3–5 questions I should ask in the meeting.
Analyze industry trends before a pitch
Example prompt: Generate a summary of the latest web development trends in the hospitality industry, focusing on how hotels use technology to enhance online guest experiences. Highlight specific UX patterns, integrations, and content ideas we could reference in a redesign proposal.
Understand competitor positioning and messaging
Example prompt: Research and summarize the digital marketing strategies of top web development agencies specializing in Craft CMS that offer similar services to {our agency}. Compare their positioning, services, pricing signals, and content strategy. Turn it into a short internal briefing with bullet-point recommendations.
- Using AI to support the sales process
AI is especially useful in the messy middle of sales: when you’re reviewing RFPs, qualifying leads, and turning scattered meeting notes into something your whole team can act on.
The key is to treat AI as a prep cook for your sales process—not the chef. Let it handle the heavy lifting on summarization and structure so you can focus on relationships and judgment.
Review and summarize RFPs
Example prompt: Please analyze the following RFP from EcoSpaces Ltd. Summarize the key objectives, requirements, and deliverables they're seeking. Highlight any specific technical preferences, constraints, and deadlines mentioned. Additionally, list any questions or clarifications we should raise before submitting a proposal.
Score leads using your own criteria
Example prompt: Using our lead scoring template, evaluate EcoSpaces Ltd. based on the summarized RFP. Consider factors such as project alignment with our expertise, budget size, potential for long-term partnership, and any identified risks. Provide a detailed score for each criterion and a total score out of 100, along with justifications for each.
Turn meeting notes into a discovery questionnaire
Example prompt: Based on the following meeting notes from our initial discussion with EcoSpaces Ltd., complete our standard discovery questionnaire. Fill in each section with as much detail as possible, flagging any open questions or missing information we should confirm in the next call.
5. Additional AI resources
Here’s a quick reference list of the tools and links we used during the workshop, plus a few extras to explore on your own.
Tools featured in the workshop
Claude
— Great for long-form thinking, complex documents, and nuanced conversations.Perplexity
— Best when you need quick, sourced answers and links to keep digging.ChatGPT
— A flexible “workflow AI integrator” for everything from drafts to data cleanup.NotebookLM
— A note-taking and research assistant that turns your own sources into interactive explainers and podcast-style episodes.
Additional tools to explore
- Midjourney — Visual experimentation and concepting for imagery.
- Gemini — Google’s family of generative models and tools.
- Superwhisper — Faster, more accurate voice capture for dictating ideas.
- Limitless.ai — Meeting notes and summaries that plug into your existing workflows.
Articles and resources to dig deeper
- From our blog: Simple Steps to Big Impact with Generative AI
- From our blog: Getting to Edit Mode
- What Is ChatGPT Doing … and Why Does It Work?
- ChatGPT – Workflow AI Integrator
FAQs: starting & scaling AI in your workflow
How do I start with AI tools if I’m completely new?
Pick one platform—like ChatGPT or Claude—and start small with a daily task you already do. The faster you see it shave minutes off your workday, the faster you’ll want to explore more.
Which AI tool is best for research and learning?
It depends on your style. Perplexity shines for quick, sourced answers, while Gemini or Claude can handle deeper context. Try a few and stick with the one that makes you feel like you hired a very smart (and tireless) intern.
How can I use AI for sales support without sounding robotic?
Use AI to draft outlines, personalize messaging, and prep talking points—but always add your own tone and context before you hit send. Think of it as the prep cook so you can be the star chef in the pitch.
What are good AI research prompts for my industry?
Start with something broad, like “Give me a current trends summary for [industry]” or “Summarize competitor strategies for [specific market].” Then refine your prompts based on the gaps or insights you need most.
Can AI help with rapid prototyping for client projects?
Yes. Use it to brainstorm concepts, generate quick copy drafts, or suggest design and UX elements. It won’t replace your creative team, but it will help them move from idea to first draft in record time.
How do I integrate AI into my team’s workflow without slowing things down?
Begin with one repeatable process—like research summaries or meeting note cleanups—and track the time saved. Once your team sees the ROI, adoption stops being a mandate and starts being a habit.
Is AI safe to use with client data?
Only if you use secure, enterprise-approved tools and follow your company’s data policies. Treat AI like any other contractor—you wouldn’t give them your bank password, so don’t give them sensitive client files or credentials.
Where can I find the AI resources from the Dot One workshop?
The original slide deck and interactive examples are linked near the top of this post, alongside the tools, prompts, and articles we used in the session. Bookmark this page so you and your team can come back to it as you keep experimenting.