# Prototyping with Prompts: Emerging Approaches and Challenges in Generative AI Design for Collaborative Software Teams

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.17721 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.17721/

## Key facts

- Cited by 16 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 27 Feb 2024.

## Built on by (most cited first, 16 of 16)

- [Vibe Coding as a Reconfiguration of Intent Mediation in Software Development: Definition, Implications, and Research Agenda](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2507.21928/) (2025)
- [A Call for Collaborative Intelligence: Why Human-Agent Systems Should Precede AI Autonomy](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2506.09420/) (2025)
- [Code Roulette: How Prompt Variability Affects LLM Code Generation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2506.10204/) (2025)
- [Vibe Coding in Product Teams: Reconfiguring AI-Assisted Workflows, Prototyping, and Collaboration](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2509.10652/) (2025)
- [Are We All Using Agents the Same Way? An Empirical Study of Core and Peripheral Developers Use of Coding Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2601.20106/) (2026)
- [Reflexive Prompt Engineering: A Framework for Responsible Prompt Engineering and Interaction Design](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2504.16204/) (2025)
- [Understanding User Experiences of Computer Use Agents: Design Space and Opportunities for Building Agent UX Prototypes](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2510.04452/) (2025)
- [Walking the Tightrope of LLMs for Software Development: A Practitioners' Perspective](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2511.06428/) (2025)
- [An Exploration of Default Images in Text-to-Image Generation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2505.09166/) (2025)
- [Botender: Supporting Communities in Collaboratively Designing AI Agents through Case-Based Provocations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2509.25492/) (2025)
- [Data-Prompt Co-Evolution: Growing Test Sets to Refine LLM Behavior](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2510.12728/) (2025)
- [Situated, Dynamic, and Subjective: Envisioning the Design of Theory-of-Mind-Enabled Everyday AI with Industry Practitioners](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2602.11342/) (2026)
- [Beyond the Desk: Barriers and Future Opportunities for AI to Assist Scientists in Embodied Physical Tasks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2603.19504/) (2026)
- [AI and Agile Software Development: A Research Roadmap from the XP2025 Workshop](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2508.20563/) (2025)
- [LLM-Powered Workflow Optimization for Multidisciplinary Software Development: An Automotive Industry Case Study](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2603.21439/) (2026)
- [Does AI Save Time on Product Design? A Randomized Controlled Experiment of AI Prompt-to-Design Workflows](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2609.26725/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Generative AI models are increasingly being integrated into human task workflows, enabling the production of expressive content across a wide range of contexts. Unlike traditional human-AI design methods, the new approach to designing generative capabilities focuses heavily on prompt engineering strategies. This shift requires a deeper understanding of how collaborative software teams establish and apply design guidelines, iteratively prototype prompts, and evaluate them to achieve specific outcomes. To explore these dynamics, we conducted design studies with 39 industry professionals, including UX designers, AI engineers, and product managers. Our findings highlight emerging practices and role shifts in AI system prototyping among multistakeholder teams. We observe various prompting and prototyping strategies, highlighting the pivotal role of to-be-generated content characteristics in enabling rapid, iterative prototyping with generative AI. By identifying associated challenges, such as the limited model interpretability and overfitting the design to specific example content, we outline considerations for generative AI prototyping.