> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.aihdstudio.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Using the Design Planner Effectively

> Get the most out of your free AI design consultation sessions.

## Think of it as a conversation

The Design Planner works best as a back-and-forth conversation rather than a single question. Start broad and narrow down.

A typical productive session looks like this:

1. **Set the context** — *"I have a 14x18 living room, currently very bland beige. I want something warm and inviting but still modern."*
2. **Get style options** — *"What styles would work for this?"*
3. **Explore one direction** — *"Tell me more about the Japandi option. What would that look like specifically?"*
4. **Go practical** — *"What furniture pieces should I prioritize first?"*
5. **Handle constraints** — *"I'm renting so I can't paint. How do I add color without painting walls?"*

## Fill in the Design Brief sidebar

The brief sidebar (visible on desktop, accessible on mobile) lets you pre-fill:

* **Room type** — helps the AI give room-specific advice
* **Aesthetic style** — narrow the conversation to a style direction
* **Budget** — the AI tailors suggestions to realistic price ranges

Fill this in before you start chatting. It significantly improves the quality of the AI's first responses.

## Good prompts to start with

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Starting from scratch">
    *"I'm redesigning my \[room type] from scratch. The room is \[dimensions]. I have \[budget]. I want it to feel \[adjectives — e.g. cozy, airy, bold]. What should I consider first?"*
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Working with existing furniture">
    *"I have \[existing pieces you're keeping]. I want to redesign around them. What style directions work with this furniture? What should I add or remove?"*
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Solving a specific problem">
    *"My room feels \[problem — e.g. dark, cramped, cold, messy]. What are the most impactful changes I can make to fix this, ideally under \[budget]?"*
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Building a renovation plan">
    *"I'm planning a full renovation of my \[room]. Help me build a priority list — what should I do first, second, third — and rough budget ranges for each phase."*
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## From planner to generator

Once you've settled on a direction in the Design Planner, use that brief to drive your AI generations:

1. Note the style, palette, and key pieces the AI recommended
2. Open the **AI Designer** or another tool
3. Select the style closest to your brief
4. Paste the key details into the optional description field

This workflow produces far more targeted results than going to the AI Designer cold.