If a picture is worth a thousand words, a prototype is worth a thousand meetings. And that's one area where AI is starting to come into its own.\
\
[tldraw](https://makereal.tldraw.com/) (my go-to whiteboard app) dropped an OpenAI integration last week. All it took was 30 seconds and a sketch of what to build—a simple, money-saving widget with a slider and a confirmation message.

```cv
gallery
{"layout":"hscroll","images":[{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2FlZ1ljRFvCvghy3SZEZonNWH5YaG3%2F4qJ7s0QIayzVsIugFf8J%2Fa89dce37-5b45-45b0-8c28-cc95a71bb790.mp4?alt=media&token=f4558899-bfec-4129-9845-7e3260ded649","id":"a89dce37-5b45-45b0-8c28-cc95a71bb790","width":1307,"height":640,"filename":"AIsketch.mp4","type":"video/mp4","caption":"","border":true}]}
```

\
Is it great production-ready output? Of course not. \
\
Does this make brainstorming or shaping something new more tangible and participative? Absolutely.\
\
If you care enough about the craft to iterate and collaborate with counterparts in product or design early on in the process, AI-enabled tools can make taking the longer way a lot faster.

—

Vilav

AI - The 'Swiss Army Knife' of prework

## **“Nothing is more colourful than black and white.”**

## If done well, it's possible elevate a proposition to a provocation. This masterful Leica ad shows how it's done.

```cv
youtube
{"url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFBgUMoZJ1s","width":200,"height":113,"thumbnail":"https://i.ytimg.com/vi/SFBgUMoZJ1s/hqdefault.jpg"}
```

***Brian Chesky, Airbnb:** “You can’t build a product unless you know how to talk about the product.”*

***Bill Bernbach, DDB**: “It’s all about how you say what has to be said."*

***Neville Brody**: “The way something is presented defines the way you react to it.”*

Product truths and positioning can go down many expected paths. But finding an angle—something that's truly provocative and creates contrast within its context—is harder to do brilliantly.

A camera that only shoots in black and white - an intentional limitation aimed for a very specific group. It could’ve been pitched as a classic, one used to take famous photos with, or one that's just for the real pros who get it.

Instead, it transcended the "who it's for" or the "what it does" with a unique, least expected pitch that flips any limitation on its head: ***"Black and white are all the colours, whichever inspiration decides."***

That is a product truth well told.

—

Vilav

Product Truths Well Told

## Craft never goes out of style. This little red Coca-Cola booklet I found at a second-hand bookstore in Rio de Janeiro is a testament to that.

Back in the 90s, someone working at Coca-Cola cared enough about getting the basics right in their work, and wanted to help others get it right by codifying what they knew to be true for any great brand.

*Swipe for more →*

```cv
gallery
{"layout":"hscroll","images":[{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2FlZ1ljRFvCvghy3SZEZonNWH5YaG3%2Fcoca-cola-brief%2F8b250213-a3a9-48fa-8574-7dba957e97db.jpg?alt=media&token=34ab0618-6120-4e20-8dac-15956c8420d8","id":"8b250213-a3a9-48fa-8574-7dba957e97db","width":2625,"height":2625,"filename":"IMG_4688.JPG","type":"image/jpeg","caption":"","border":false},{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2FlZ1ljRFvCvghy3SZEZonNWH5YaG3%2Fcoca-cola-brief%2F8683ad91-641e-428d-819d-40d3a06038ea.jpg?alt=media&token=7b0bc4a6-0654-4c66-bb11-a28b752f1a20","id":"8683ad91-641e-428d-819d-40d3a06038ea","width":1080,"height":1080,"filename":"‎cc book.‎001.jpeg","type":"image/jpeg","caption":"","border":false},{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2FlZ1ljRFvCvghy3SZEZonNWH5YaG3%2Fcoca-cola-brief%2F2f82ab27-36f4-4e07-bc96-f98548073cfe.jpg?alt=media&token=77faab3f-ecb1-4b9b-b8e4-f42981d0ba77","id":"2f82ab27-36f4-4e07-bc96-f98548073cfe","width":1080,"height":1080,"filename":"‎cc book.‎002.jpeg","type":"image/jpeg","caption":"","border":false},{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2FlZ1ljRFvCvghy3SZEZonNWH5YaG3%2Fcoca-cola-brief%2Fd7a95205-740f-4a69-b8a0-9141637474c8.jpg?alt=media&token=ff090ae1-3b8a-4b46-b452-c019b3e58e81","id":"d7a95205-740f-4a69-b8a0-9141637474c8","width":1080,"height":1080,"filename":"‎cc book.‎003.jpeg","type":"image/jpeg","caption":"","border":false},{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2FlZ1ljRFvCvghy3SZEZonNWH5YaG3%2Fcoca-cola-brief%2F9fff088d-0d95-4614-b02c-9a4a6ba16b48.jpg?alt=media&token=76b92053-5bcf-4800-8f95-37a43323c3f8","id":"9fff088d-0d95-4614-b02c-9a4a6ba16b48","width":1080,"height":1080,"filename":"‎cc book.‎004.jpeg","type":"image/jpeg","caption":"","border":false},{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2FlZ1ljRFvCvghy3SZEZonNWH5YaG3%2Fcoca-cola-brief%2Fd46ad210-128f-406c-80d1-8b6d54e5d98c.jpg?alt=media&token=f4abe8c0-aa8f-433b-82dd-df75a476cd11","id":"d46ad210-128f-406c-80d1-8b6d54e5d98c","width":1080,"height":1080,"filename":"‎cc book.‎005.jpeg","type":"image/jpeg","caption":"","border":false},{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2FlZ1ljRFvCvghy3SZEZonNWH5YaG3%2Fcoca-cola-brief%2F4dba5d30-0db9-4045-a83c-d28dc07106da.jpg?alt=media&token=38cdc4ff-13cd-43eb-b97f-251c2f39eb92","id":"4dba5d30-0db9-4045-a83c-d28dc07106da","width":1080,"height":1080,"filename":"‎cc book.‎006.jpeg","type":"image/jpeg","caption":"","border":false},{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2FlZ1ljRFvCvghy3SZEZonNWH5YaG3%2Fcoca-cola-brief%2F6366d1f9-3ec8-40d3-b7b0-7883e8735c89.jpg?alt=media&token=0fe2d60b-48f0-45d4-9654-327c7657402e","id":"6366d1f9-3ec8-40d3-b7b0-7883e8735c89","width":1080,"height":1080,"filename":"‎cc book.‎007.jpeg","type":"image/jpeg","caption":"","border":false},{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2FlZ1ljRFvCvghy3SZEZonNWH5YaG3%2Fcoca-cola-brief%2F479f7d93-a6c2-47a0-ac83-d4edc0e41ff3.jpg?alt=media&token=91d9c921-59f1-4a64-9e0e-12d057f5e192","id":"479f7d93-a6c2-47a0-ac83-d4edc0e41ff3","width":1080,"height":1080,"filename":"‎cc book.‎008.jpeg","type":"image/jpeg","caption":"","border":false},{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2FlZ1ljRFvCvghy3SZEZonNWH5YaG3%2Fcoca-cola-brief%2Ff198a30c-3f14-48e8-89b2-3758a9638740.jpg?alt=media&token=54207c8a-bc36-4dcb-88de-e83ee3ebe73d","id":"f198a30c-3f14-48e8-89b2-3758a9638740","width":1080,"height":1080,"filename":"‎cc book.‎009.jpeg","type":"image/jpeg","caption":"","border":false}]}
```

While it’s never been more tempting to succumb to the lure of the newest shiny object, ship a half-baked MVP, or find GPT answers, reading this artefact was a good reminder to put in the pre-work that leads to great work—polish the inputs that frame the outputs, and eventually the outcomes.

—

Vilav

Vilav Bhatt

2024

2023