I used to think bad AI images were the model’s fault. You type something simple, hit enter, and get back a picture that looks like stock art from 2009. Sound familiar?
Then I found a post from an AI professional who turned that idea upside down. The author says it plainly: most people still type lazy image prompts. They write “make me a logo” and expect magic. Then they wonder why the result looks generic or, worse, nothing like what they had in mind.
The model isn’t the problem. The prompt is.
From Customer Order to Creative Brief
What I loved about this post is how honest the creator was. Early on, their prompts were “embarrassing.” One line, no direction, no context. The output matched the effort they put in.
Things changed when they started writing prompts like a creative director briefing a photographer, not a customer placing an order. According to the author, everything changed overnight.
A strong prompt isn’t a sentence. It’s a brief.
A good brief covers the subject, lighting, camera angle, mood, composition and even the lens. As the original poster puts it, the models have been ready for months. Most of us just haven’t been asking properly.
The Categories Worth Mastering
This LinkedIn creator put together 20 prompt structures that work across every major model right now. Here are the core categories they highlighted, along with what makes each one work.
- Photorealistic portraits: Spell out the lighting, lens and expression. “A woman smiling” is vague. “Soft window light, 85mm lens, a quiet half-smile” gives the model something real to work with.
- Cinematic movie scenes: Build them around mood and camera angle. A low angle in cold blue light tells a completely different story than a warm, eye-level shot.
- Product photography: Name the surface, the props and the studio lighting. A bottle on marble next to a sprig of eucalyptus looks premium in a way “product photo” never will.
- YouTube thumbnails: Use bold hierarchy and high contrast. People see thumbnails at tiny sizes, so one big subject and strong color separation matter more than fine detail.
- Social ads: Include your brand colors and leave empty space for text. That’s where your headline goes, so ask for it up front.
- Architectural visualization: Tie it to a time of day and specific materials. Golden hour on concrete and glass feels nothing like overcast light on timber.
- Interior design concepts: Define the color palette, the furniture and the natural light. That’s how you get a room that looks designed instead of thrown together.
- Food photography: Ask for steam, texture and shallow depth of field. These details make food look warm and fresh instead of plastic.
- Infographic illustrations: Focus on icons, spacing and clear hierarchy. The goal is readability, so tell the model what should stand out first.
- Fantasy and sci-fi concept art: Build on scale and atmosphere. A tiny figure in front of a huge structure, wrapped in fog, creates instant drama.
- Anime and 3D character design: Anchor it in expression and style. Naming the emotion and the rendering style keeps characters consistent and full of personality.
- Viral concept images: Build around one clean focal point. Images that stop the scroll usually do one thing really well, not five things at once.
The author sums up the whole set in four words: “Twenty structures. One image.” It covers every category you’re likely to need, laid out prompt by prompt.
How to Write Your Own Brief
You don’t need the full collection to start using this approach today. Every structure in the post uses the same building blocks. Before you hit enter, run through this checklist:
- Subject: Who or what is in the frame, described in specific terms.
- Lighting: Soft, harsh, golden hour, studio or neon. Pick one.
- Camera angle: Eye level, low angle, overhead or close-up.
- Mood: Calm, tense, playful or luxurious.
- Composition: Where the subject sits and how much empty space surrounds it.
- Lens: A wide 24mm lens feels expansive, while an 85mm flatters faces and blurs the background.
Here’s a quick before-and-after I put together to show the difference. The lazy version: “make me a coffee ad.” The brief version: “A ceramic cup of latte on a light oak table, morning sunlight from the left, overhead angle, cozy and calm mood, cup placed in the lower third with open space above for text, 50mm lens, warm brown and cream palette.” Same idea, very different result.
Why This Matters Right Now
Image models are now very capable. They understand photography terms, design language and art styles better than ever. So the gap between a flat result and a great one comes down mostly to how clearly you describe what you want.
I think this is the most useful shift in thinking in the whole post. Stop treating the AI like a vending machine. Treat it like a talented photographer who can’t read your mind but will follow a clear brief to the letter.
The creator also made a great point about teamwork. If someone on your team is still typing one-line prompts and wondering why the results look flat, send them this. It’ll save them a ton of trial and error.
Pick One and Test It
My suggestion is to choose one category from the list above that matches your work this week. If you run ads, try the social ad structure. If you make videos, start with thumbnails. Write a full brief, compare the result to your old one-liner, and see the difference for yourself.
The author closed by asking which category people would test first, and I’m curious too. Check out the full LinkedIn post for the complete breakdown and to join the conversation.