Master AI Prompts to Generate Better Website Designs: A Complete Tutorial

Master AI Prompts to Generate Better Website Designs: A Complete Tutorial

What You'll Learn

In this tutorial, you'll discover how to write effective AI prompts that generate professional website designs on the first try. You'll learn the essential details to include, techniques for guiding the AI toward your vision, and strategies for iterating efficiently when you need to refine results. By the end, you'll be crafting prompts that save time and produce designs you're proud to launch.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, you'll need:

• A free Vigma account (takes 30 seconds to set up)
• A clear idea of your website's purpose (business, portfolio, blog, etc.)
• Basic understanding of your target audience
• Optional: Brand colors, fonts, or style preferences

Step 1: Start with the Foundation (Purpose + Audience)

The most critical part of any AI prompt is establishing what you're building and who it's for. This context shapes every design decision the AI makes.

What to include:

• Website type (e-commerce, portfolio, SaaS landing page, blog)
• Target audience (age range, profession, interests)
• Primary goal (generate leads, sell products, showcase work)

Example prompt foundation:

Create a modern landing page for a sustainable fashion brand 
targeting eco-conscious millennials aged 25-40. The goal is 
to showcase our new collection and drive newsletter signups.

Why this works: The AI now knows to prioritize clean aesthetics, earth tones, and prominent email capture forms—all elements that resonate with environmentally conscious consumers.

Step 2: Define Your Visual Style and Mood

Generic prompts produce generic designs. Specific visual direction creates distinctive results.

Include these details:

• Design style: Minimalist, bold and colorful, corporate professional, playful, elegant
• Mood/feeling: Trustworthy, energetic, calming, innovative, luxurious
• Color preferences: Specific hex codes, color families, or mood-based descriptions
• Typography style: Modern sans-serif, classic serif, handwritten, tech-forward

Enhanced prompt example:

Create a modern landing page for a sustainable fashion brand 
targeting eco-conscious millennials aged 25-40. Use a minimalist 
design with earth tones (sage green #9CAF88, warm beige #E8DCC4, 
terracotta accents). The mood should feel calming and authentic. 
Use clean sans-serif typography with plenty of white space.

Pro tip: If you're starting fresh, browse templates to identify visual styles you like, then describe those elements in your prompt.

Step 3: Specify Layout and Structure

Help the AI understand how to organize your content by outlining the page structure.

Key elements to specify:

• Hero section content (headline, subheadline, CTA button)
• Number of sections and their purposes
• Navigation requirements
• Footer elements

Complete prompt with structure:

Create a modern landing page for a sustainable fashion brand 
targeting eco-conscious millennials aged 25-40. Use a minimalist 
design with earth tones (sage green #9CAF88, warm beige #E8DCC4, 
terracotta accents). The mood should feel calming and authentic.

Layout structure:
- Hero: Bold headline about sustainable fashion, subheadline 
  about our mission, "Shop Collection" CTA button
- Featured Products: Grid of 4 items with images and prices
- Our Story: Two-column section with image and text
- Newsletter Signup: Centered form with benefits list
- Footer: Social links, contact info, sustainability certifications

Step 4: Add Content Guidance

The AI generates better designs when it understands your content strategy.

Provide:

• Approximate text length for each section
• Key messages or value propositions
• Specific CTAs (calls-to-action)
• Image style preferences

Example content guidance:

Content details:
- Hero headline: 6-8 words, emphasize "sustainable" and "style"
- Product descriptions: 2-3 sentences each
- Our Story section: 150-200 words about ethical manufacturing
- Newsletter benefits: 3 bullet points (early access, styling 
  tips, exclusive discounts)
- Images: Product photography on neutral backgrounds, lifestyle 
  shots showing clothing in natural settings

For visual content needs beyond standard layouts, Vigma's AI Image Generator can create custom graphics that match your brand perfectly.

Step 5: Submit Your Prompt and Review

Once you've assembled your comprehensive prompt, submit it and evaluate the results systematically.

Review checklist:

• ✅ Does the overall aesthetic match your vision?
• ✅ Is the hierarchy clear (headlines, subheadings, body text)?
• ✅ Are CTAs prominent and compelling?
• ✅ Does the layout flow logically?
• ✅ Is the design responsive-friendly?

What to do if results aren't perfect: Don't start over immediately. Identify specific elements that need adjustment and use targeted iteration (next step).

Step 6: Iterate Efficiently with Specific Feedback

The key to efficient iteration is being precise about what needs to change.

Instead of vague requests like: ❌ "Make it better" ❌ "I don't like the colors" ❌ "Change the layout"

Use specific, actionable feedback: ✅ "Increase the hero section height to 80vh and center the text vertically" ✅ "Replace the sage green (#9CAF88) with a deeper forest green (#4A7C59)" ✅ "Move the newsletter signup section above the Our Story section"

Example iteration prompt:

The design looks great overall. Please make these adjustments:
1. Make the hero headline 20% larger and bold
2. Change the product grid from 4 columns to 3 for better spacing
3. Add subtle hover effects to product images (slight zoom)
4. Increase padding around the newsletter form to 60px
5. Add a subtle texture or pattern to the footer background

This approach preserves what's working while refining specific elements, as outlined in our guide on common website design mistakes and how to avoid them.

Step 7: Test Across Contexts

Before finalizing your design, verify it works in different scenarios.

Test for:

• Different screen sizes: Desktop, tablet, mobile
• Content variations: Longer headlines, more products, additional sections
• Accessibility: Color contrast, text readability, button sizes
• Loading performance: Image optimization, minimal complexity

Prompt for responsive adjustments:

Optimize the design for mobile devices:
- Stack the two-column Our Story section vertically
- Reduce hero text size by 30% on mobile
- Make the product grid single column on screens under 768px
- Ensure all buttons are minimum 44px tall for touch targets

Best Practices for Prompt Writing

Do:

• ✅ Be specific about measurements (use px, %, vh when relevant)
• ✅ Reference real examples ("similar to Apple's minimalist product pages")
• ✅ Include brand personality descriptors
• ✅ Specify what you DON'T want ("avoid carousel sliders, no auto-play videos")
• ✅ Save successful prompts for future projects

Don't:

• ❌ Use contradictory instructions ("minimalist but with lots of decorative elements")
• ❌ Overload a single prompt with 20+ requirements
• ❌ Assume the AI knows your industry jargon without context
• ❌ Request copyrighted designs or exact replicas of existing sites

Advanced Techniques

Technique 1: Prompt Layering Start with a basic prompt to establish the foundation, then add complexity in subsequent iterations. This prevents overwhelming the AI and helps you maintain control.

Technique 2: Reference Multiple Styles "Combine the minimalism of Scandinavian design with the warm colors of Mediterranean aesthetics" gives the AI creative direction while maintaining specificity.

Technique 3: Contextual Constraints Add business constraints to improve practical results: "Design must work with a $50/month hosting budget, so optimize for fast loading without heavy animations."

If you're working on a tight timeline, check out our tutorial on how to launch a website in one day for time-saving strategies that complement effective prompting.

Common Prompting Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: Too Vague "Create a nice website for my business" → The AI has no direction

Fix: "Create a professional service website for a family-owned plumbing company serving suburban homeowners, emphasizing trust and 24/7 availability"

Mistake 2: Feature Overload Requesting 15 different sections, 8 color schemes, and 10 font combinations in one prompt

Fix: Start with core sections, establish the design system, then add features incrementally

Mistake 3: Ignoring Content Hierarchy Not specifying what's most important leads to designs where everything competes for attention

Fix: Explicitly state "The primary CTA is [X], secondary actions are [Y, Z]"

Next Steps

Now that you understand how to craft effective AI prompts, you're ready to create professional website designs efficiently. Here's what to do next:

1. Practice with a real project: Try Vigma for free and apply these techniques to your next website
2. Explore design options: Check out Vigma's templates for inspiration and starting points
3. Plan your workflow: Review our guide on building a professional website in 2025 for a complete no-code approach
4. Track your results: Use your dashboard to manage projects and refine your prompting strategy over time

Remember, mastering AI prompts is an iterative skill. Each project teaches you more about what works, helping you generate better results faster. Start with the fundamentals covered here, experiment with different approaches, and you'll soon be creating professional designs with minimal revision cycles.

Ready to put these techniques into practice? Your first well-crafted prompt is just moments away from becoming a beautiful website design.