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AI for Home Design & Iteration Practice

30-40 minutesBest for: People who want practice having iterative conversations with AI

What You'll Do

Use AI to brainstorm home design ideas for a room in your house. You'll practice iterating on AI's suggestions through follow-up questions — a key skill for getting better results from AI tools.

1Take a photo of a room in your home

Choose a room you'd like to redesign or improve. This could be any room — living room, bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, office, etc. Use your phone camera.

2Choose an AI tool that accepts image uploads

ChatGPT: https://chat.openai.com (free version accepts images) Claude: https://claude.ai (free version accepts images but cannot generate images) Gemini: https://gemini.google.com (free version accepts images)

3Upload your photo

Look for the attachment/image icon near the text box.

Start with this initial prompt

Prompt - Copy and paste this:
I'd like help reimagining this room. Can you suggest a few different design directions I could take? I'm open to ideas but working with a limited budget.

Practice Iterating — Try These Follow-Ups

Once AI gives you some initial ideas, practice refining them by asking follow-up questions. Try at least 3-4 of these:

To explore specific ideas:

  • •"Can you expand on the [modern/cozy/minimalist] option? What specific changes would that involve?"
  • •"Show me 3 different color palette options for this space."
  • •"What would it look like if I painted these walls [color]?"

To add practical constraints:

  • •"Give me some budget-friendly ideas to redesign this space."
  • •"Which of these changes could I do myself without hiring someone?"
  • •"What's the easiest change I could make that would have the biggest impact?"

To solve specific problems:

  • •"How can I get more natural lighting in this room?"
  • •"How can I make this space feel bigger?"
  • •"This room gets messy quickly — how can I add storage without it looking cluttered?"
  • •"How can I optimize the layout so [specific goal, like 'my kids actually put laundry in the basket']?"

To get actionable next steps:

  • •"What should I tackle first?"
  • •"Can you create a prioritized list of changes, from easiest to most involved?"
  • •"Where would you recommend I shop for [specific item] on a budget?"

What You Should Have By The End

  • •At least one design direction you're genuinely interested in
  • •3-4 follow-up questions asked
  • •A sense of how iteration improves AI's responses

Reflection (Optional)

•Did the suggestions feel practical and achievable?
•How did AI's responses change as you added more context and constraints?
•Would you actually try any of these ideas?

General Tips for All Tasks

Getting Unstuck:

  • •If the AI tool isn't loading, try refreshing the page or switching browsers
  • •Make sure you're connected to wifi
  • •If an AI-generated result isn't what you wanted, try rephrasing your request or adding more detail
  • •Ask Connor for help!

If You Finish Early:

  • •Try a second task option from this list
  • •Help a neighbor get started with their task
  • •Experiment with variations (different room, different song style, different flyer design)

Remember:

  • •There's no "wrong" way to do this — experimentation is the whole point
  • •AI tools are getting better all the time, but they're not perfect
  • •The goal is to explore what's possible and figure out what's actually useful to you
  • •Have fun!

What to Bring Next Week (Optional)

  • •If you created something cool (a song, a design, a great conversation), be ready to share it
  • •Bring questions about AI tools or tasks you tried
  • •If something didn't work well, we can troubleshoot together
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