Prompt Builder
A standalone workspace for crafting and previewing AI workflows in real time — the power-user tool that grew out of Astra.
The problem
Canned AI features hit a ceiling fast: the moment users understand what the model can do, they want to steer it themselves. Astra needed a way to hand over the controls without handing over the complexity.
The tool
Prompt Builder is a real-time workspace where users compose, structure, and preview AI workflows before committing to them. Prompts become visible, editable objects rather than magic hidden behind a button — which changes the user's relationship with the AI from consumer to operator.
Lessons
AI UX is mostly about legibility. When people can see how the instruction is assembled, they trust the output more, debug their own results, and stop blaming the model for what was really a prompt problem.
Under the hood
Shipped in phases rather than all at once: v1.0 is the core loop (type, shape, transform, practise with offline scoring, no database required), with a second phase — saved prompts, a coaching dashboard, and governance controls — built and gated behind a feature flag until it earns its place. Covered by Playwright end-to-end tests and a dedicated smoke-test script rather than shipped on faith.
Gallery & Previews
