Imagine having to dig through a crowded navigation sidebar just to find the one prompt you need. Sounds frustrating, right? That’s exactly what happens when you have a long list of saved prompts with unwieldy names and descriptions that are hidden from view. But what if I told you there’s a way to make prompt management a breeze? Let’s dive into an optimization proposal for the Save prompt modal and its impact on sidebar navigation, specifically concerning the Prompt name and Description fields.
## The Problem: Inefficient Prompt Naming and Description Display
When saving a prompt, users can assign a Prompt name and an optional Description. However, the current design creates usability friction in navigation. Take the Prompt name field, for example. It allows for a considerable number of characters, but this flexibility comes at a cost. In the left-hand navigation sidebar, these long prompt names are truncated due to limited display space. And if you hover over a truncated name, you’ll see the full prompt name via a tooltip, but that requires an extra interaction. Furthermore, the Description field is a valuable tool for adding context, but it’s not readily visible in the main sidebar list of prompts.
## The Impact: Friction in Navigation and Increased Cognitive Load
This behavior highlights a conflict between input flexibility and display usability, impacting three critical Nielsen’s Heuristics: Efficiency of Use, Visibility of System Status, and Recognition rather than Recall. Users spend extra time hovering over truncated names to identify prompts, which is frustrating in long lists. They’re forced to adapt by either creating excessively short and potentially less descriptive prompt names or by embedding brief descriptions directly into the prompt name itself. This not only fails the Recognition rather than Recall principle but also increases cognitive load.
## The Solution: Practical Name Length Limit and Description Snippet Display
To optimize these fields and improve efficiency, I suggest implementing a practical character limit for the Prompt name field (e.g., 40-50 characters) that is more consistent with how names are displayed in the sidebar without excessive truncation. Additionally, display a small snippet of the Description text directly below the prompt name in the sidebar. This would provide immediate context and enable Recognition rather than Recall without requiring a hover or deeper navigation. If displaying a description snippet in the sidebar is not feasible, enhance the existing tooltip to always display the full Description along with the full Prompt name upon hover.
Optimizing these fields would significantly improve the efficiency of prompt identification and management, reducing user frustration and cognitive load. Users would spend less time searching for the correct prompt, enhancing their workflow and overall satisfaction with the AI Studio’s organizational capabilities.
