Add optimization guide reference

skills/optimize-prompt/references/optimization-guide.md

@@ -0,0 +1,143 @@
+# Prompt Optimization Guide
+
+Reference guide for writing high-quality, effective prompts for Claude CoWork and Claude Chat.
+
+---
+
+## The Ideal Prompt Structure
+
+Well-constructed prompts follow a consistent ordering of information. Claude performs best when instructions flow from broad context to specific detail.
+
+**Recommended order:**
+
+1. **Context / Role setup** — What situation is this? What role should Claude take?
+2. **Core task** — What specifically should Claude do? (the action verb matters)
+3. **Audience & purpose** — Who is this for? What's it going to be used for?
+4. **Constraints** — Tone, length, style, what to avoid, deadline
+5. **Output specification** — Exact format, file type, structure
+6. **Skill invocations** — Trigger phrases for relevant skills (woven in naturally)
+
+Not every prompt needs all six sections, but they should appear in this order when present.
+
+---
+
+## Language Patterns That Work Well
+
+### Be specific about the action verb
+Vague: "Help me with a report"
+Strong: "Write a two-page executive summary"
+
+### State the audience explicitly
+Vague: "Make this professional"
+Strong: "This is for a prospective client who hasn't worked with us before"
+
+### Specify format before content
+Vague: "Give me some ideas"
+Strong: "Give me five bullet points, each one sentence, suitable for a slide header"
+
+### Use constraints to prevent unwanted output
+- "Keep it under 300 words"
+- "Do not include technical jargon"
+- "Use MPM's brand voice — confident, direct, human"
+- "Avoid bullet points — write in flowing paragraphs"
+
+### Name the output artifact
+Vague: "Create something I can share"
+Strong: "Create a Word document (.docx) I can send directly to the client"
+
+---
+
+## Common Anti-Patterns to Avoid
+
+| Anti-pattern | Problem | Fix |
+|---|---|---|
+| "Write me something about X" | No format, audience, or length specified | Add: format, who it's for, word count |
+| "Make it better" | No criteria for "better" | Define: more concise? Warmer tone? Add examples? |
+| "Be creative" | Claude doesn't know creative in what direction | Specify: unexpected angle, unexpected format, surprising structure |
+| "Like a professional would" | Too vague | Name the professional: "like a McKinsey consultant", "like a skilled copywriter" |
+| Over-long preamble | Buries the actual ask | Lead with the task, add context after |
+| Burying format at the end | Claude plans the response before seeing it | Put output format specification early |
+
+---
+
+## Before & After Examples
+
+### Example 1 — Content Creation
+
+**Before:**
+> Write something about our new product for LinkedIn
+
+**After:**
+> Write a LinkedIn post announcing MessagePoint Media's new [product name]. The audience is marketing directors at mid-size B2B companies. Tone should be confident and human — not salesy. Keep it under 150 words. End with a low-pressure call to action (link in comments style). Use MPM's brand voice.
+
+---
+
+### Example 2 — Document Creation
+
+**Before:**
+> Can you make a report on our Q1 results
+
+**After:**
+> Create a Word document summarizing MPM's Q1 performance. Include sections for: revenue vs. target, top three wins, top three lessons learned, and key priorities for Q2. Audience is the MPM leadership team. Tone: direct and honest. Length: 1-2 pages. Use clear headers and keep the language tight — no filler.
+
+---
+
+### Example 3 — Research / Summary
+
+**Before:**
+> Tell me about AI trends
+
+**After:**
+> Summarize the five most relevant AI trends for a content marketing agency in 2025. Focus on practical implications for workflow, client service, and competitive positioning — not hype. Audience is the MPM leadership team. Format: short paragraphs per trend, each with a "so what for MPM" implication at the end. Total length: under 600 words.
+
+---
+
+### Example 4 — Presentation
+
+**Before:**
+> Make a deck about our services
+
+**After:**
+> Create a PowerPoint presentation introducing MPM's core services to a prospective client. The client is a marketing leader at a regional financial services company. Include: who we are (1 slide), what we do (3-4 slides with one service per slide), why MPM (1 slide), and next steps (1 slide). Tone: professional but warm. Keep copy minimal — this is a leave-behind, not a reading document.
+
+---
+
+## Tone Calibration
+
+When specifying tone, use concrete reference points rather than vague adjectives:
+
+| Instead of... | Say... |
+|---|---|
+| "Professional" | "Formal but not stiff — think well-written business email" |
+| "Friendly" | "Warm and direct, like a trusted colleague" |
+| "Engaging" | "Conversational, with a clear point of view" |
+| "Simple" | "Eighth-grade reading level, no jargon" |
+| "On-brand" | "Use MPM brand voice — confident, direct, and human" |
+
+---
+
+## Output Format Specification
+
+Always tell Claude exactly what format the output should take. Common formats and how to specify them:
+
+| Output type | How to specify |
+|---|---|
+| Word document | "Create a Word document (.docx)" |
+| PowerPoint | "Create a PowerPoint presentation (.pptx)" |
+| Spreadsheet | "Create an Excel spreadsheet (.xlsx)" |
+| PDF | "Create a PDF" |
+| Email | "Write an email I can copy directly into Gmail" |
+| Bullet list | "Give me a bulleted list, 5-7 items, one sentence each" |
+| Prose | "Write in flowing paragraphs, no bullet points" |
+| Executive summary | "Two-page executive summary with clear headers" |
+
+---
+
+## Skill Invocation
+
+For CoWork users, certain output types are best handled by specialized skills. See `skill-awareness.md` for the complete map of triggers to skills. The key principle: **include the trigger phrase naturally in the prompt** rather than calling the skill by its technical name.
+
+Good: "Create a Word document..."
+Unnecessary: "Use the docx skill to create..."
+
+The skill will activate automatically from natural language — the user doesn't need to know the skill names.