from curious to creator
Building
with AI
you type this
.
the one big idea
You can now build software just by describing it.
No coding. You explain what you want in plain English, and the computer writes it for you.
the tool
This is Claude.
An AI that has read an enormous amount of writing. It's very good at turning your words into working things: explanations, drafts, and yes, little web apps.
how it works, in one breath
Like a very well-read assistant.
It predicts what should come next, so it can write it for you. Ask clearly and you get more of what you want. One catch: it sounds sure even when it's wrong, so double-check anything that matters.
quick definition
A "web app" is just a little program in your browser.
🧮 a tip splitter
🍲 a recipe box
⏳ a countdown
❓ a family quiz
If it opens in a browser, it's a web app. That's all we're making today.
how today works
The loop.
1
Describe it
Tell Claude what you want, in your own words.
→
2
Claude builds it
It writes the app and shows it to you.
→
3
You tweak it
"Change this, add that." Repeat until happy.
the secret
A good ask has five ingredients.
1Who it's for
2What it should do
3A few details
4How it should look
5Then just say "build it"
watch once
I'll build one live.
Watch the loop in action: one prompt in, a working app out, then a quick tweak. You're up next.
now you try
your magic card
Build me a that helps me . Make it and easy to read.
Fill the blanks → paste into Claude → watch it appear.
make it yours
Now change one thing.
"Make the background sunset colors"
"Add a button that says Surprise me"
"Make the text bigger"
Watch how fast it updates. You really can't break it.
share
Turn your screen to a neighbor.
What did you make? Steal each other's ideas shamelessly.
three good habits
Small things that help.
Save it
Copy your work somewhere. Nothing is automatic.
Check facts
If it matters, verify it. Confident isn't correct.
Start over
It's free to try again. Redo beats wrestling.
keep playing at home
This week, try…
- Open claude.ai or the Claude app
- Build one thing from the menu
- Ask it to explain something you're curious about
- Your handout has starter prompts to copy
that's a wrap
You just built software.
Welcome to the fun part. Questions?