Prompt Engineering Masterclass
Master the KERNEL and DEPTH frameworks to write prompts that deliver perfect results on the first try
Why Prompt Engineering Matters
The difference between a mediocre AI project and an exceptional one often comes down to a single factor: **how well you communicate with the AI**. A vague prompt like "build me a website" might cost you 500 credits and 10 iterations to get right. A well-engineered prompt using the techniques in this guide can deliver exactly what you want in one shot, saving you time, money, and frustration.
This tutorial teaches you two proven frameworks—**KERNEL** and **DEPTH**—that professional AI engineers use to get consistent, high-quality results from Manus AI. By the end, you'll know how to craft prompts that make Manus feel like it's reading your mind.
The KERNEL Framework
KERNEL is a mnemonic device that ensures your prompts contain all the essential information Manus needs to build exactly what you want. Each letter represents a critical component of an effective prompt.
Tell Manus what it needs to know about your project, industry, target audience, and constraints. The more context you provide, the better Manus can tailor its output.
"Build a booking system"
"Build a booking system for a yoga studio with 3 instructors, 5 class types, and 200+ students. We currently use Google Calendar but need automated reminders, waitlists, and payment processing."
Be precise about features, functionality, design elements, and technical specifications. Use positive language—tell Manus what to include rather than what to avoid.
"Make it look modern and professional"
"Use a minimalist design with a white background, sans-serif typography (Inter font), subtle shadows instead of borders, and a blue/gray color palette (#3B82F6 primary, #64748B secondary)"
Frame Manus as an expert in the relevant domain. This activates specialized knowledge and appropriate tone. Start with "You are a..." to set the persona.
Example Roles:
- •"You are a senior UX designer" → Better user experience decisions
- •"You are a full-stack developer" → More robust technical implementation
- •"You are a marketing copywriter" → More persuasive content
- •"You are a data scientist" → Better analysis and visualizations
Define the visual style, brand personality, and tone of voice. This ensures Manus matches your brand identity and target audience expectations.
Visual Style Examples:
- •"Minimalist and clean"
- •"Bold and vibrant"
- •"Corporate and professional"
- •"Playful and creative"
Tone Examples:
- •"Friendly and conversational"
- •"Authoritative and expert"
- •"Casual and humorous"
- •"Formal and academic"
Provide concrete examples, reference websites, sample content, or inspiration sources. This eliminates ambiguity and ensures Manus understands your vision.
Ways to Provide Examples:
- •Reference URLs: "Design similar to stripe.com homepage"
- •Sample content: "Here's an example product description: [paste text]"
- •Visual references: "Layout like a Notion page with sidebar navigation"
- •Competitor sites: "Functionality like Calendly but simpler"
Specify how comprehensive the output should be. This helps Manus allocate appropriate resources and determine the level of detail.
Small Scope
"Single landing page, 3 sections, mobile-responsive"
Medium Scope
"5-page website with contact form, blog, and about page"
Large Scope
"Full SaaS application with user auth, dashboard, admin panel, and payment processing"
⚠️ Pro Tip:
Start with MVP (Minimum Viable Product) scope, then add features incrementally. This saves credits and lets you test core functionality first.
KERNEL in Action
Here's a real-world example showing the difference between a basic prompt and a KERNEL-optimized prompt:
"Build me a portfolio website for my photography business"
Problems: No context, vague requirements, no style guidance, no examples, unclear scope. Manus will have to guess everything.
[K - Knowledge] I'm a wedding photographer based in Portland, Oregon, serving couples who want artistic, candid-style photography. My average client budget is $3,000-5,000. I currently have 50+ weddings in my portfolio and get 10-15 inquiries per month through Instagram.
[E - Explicit] Build a portfolio website with: (1) Hero section with my best photo and tagline "Capturing Your Love Story", (2) Gallery page with filtering by wedding venue type (outdoor, indoor, destination), (3) About page with my bio and approach, (4) Pricing page with 3 package tiers, (5) Contact form with fields for wedding date, venue, and budget.
[R - Role] You are a senior web designer specializing in photography portfolio websites.
[N - Nuance] Design should be elegant and minimal to let the photos shine. Use a white background, serif typography for headings (Playfair Display), sans-serif for body (Inter), and subtle animations on scroll. Tone should be warm, romantic, and professional.
[E - Examples] Layout inspiration: junebugweddings.com (clean grid gallery) and elizabethmessina.com (elegant typography). Avoid busy designs like theknot.com.
[L - Length] 5-page website, mobile-responsive, optimized for fast loading of high-res images.
Result: Manus has everything needed to build exactly what you want on the first try, saving 5-10 iterations and 300+ credits.
The DEPTH Framework
DEPTH is a complementary framework that focuses on **how to structure and refine your prompts** for maximum clarity and impact. Use DEPTH alongside KERNEL for even better results.
Instead of "add user authentication", specify: "Add email/password login with password reset via email, Google OAuth integration, and session management with JWT tokens. Include email verification on signup."
The more granular your details, the fewer clarifying questions Manus needs to ask.
Show Manus what you mean by providing contrasting examples: "Make the CTA button prominent like Stripe's 'Start now' button (large, centered, high contrast), not subtle like Apple's text links."
Describe your target user: "This dashboard is for small business owners (age 35-55) who are not tech-savvy. They need simple, intuitive navigation with clear labels and no jargon."
Examples: "Use a friendly, conversational tone like Mailchimp" or "Maintain a formal, authoritative tone like Harvard Business Review" or "Write in a playful, irreverent tone like Cards Against Humanity"
Specify what's most important: "The pricing page should emphasize the Pro plan (middle tier) as the recommended option. Make it visually distinct with a 'Most Popular' badge and slightly larger card."
Advanced Prompting Techniques
Explicitly state limitations to guide Manus toward practical solutions:
Build in phases rather than requesting everything at once:
Phase 1: "Build the core landing page with hero, features, and CTA"
Phase 2: "Add a blog section with category filtering"
Phase 3: "Integrate email signup with Mailchimp"
This approach lets you test and validate each piece before adding complexity.
Use comparisons to clarify your vision:
Tell Manus what to avoid (use sparingly, after stating what you DO want):
Common Prompting Mistakes
Problem: "Build a CRM for my business"
Manus doesn't know if you're in real estate, insurance, or e-commerce. Each industry has different CRM requirements.
✅ Fix:
"Build a CRM for a real estate agency managing 200+ property listings, 50 agents, and 1,000+ client contacts. Need lead tracking, property matching, and commission calculations."
Problem: "Make it look modern and professional"
"Modern" could mean minimalist, brutalist, neumorphic, or glassmorphic. "Professional" is equally vague.
✅ Fix:
"Use a minimalist design with generous white space, sans-serif fonts, subtle shadows (no borders), and a monochromatic color scheme with one accent color."
Problem: "Use SEO best practices"
Too generic. What specific SEO outcomes do you want?
✅ Fix:
"Optimize for SEO: include meta descriptions under 160 chars, use H1/H2 hierarchy, add alt text to all images, ensure mobile-responsive design, and target keywords: 'wedding photographer Portland' and 'Oregon wedding photography'."
Weak Prompt:
"Build an e-commerce store"
Your Task:
Rewrite this using KERNEL framework. Consider: What are you selling? Who's your customer? What features do you need? What's your design style?
Example Strong Rewrite:
[K] I sell handmade ceramic mugs and bowls. Target customers are millennials who value artisan craftsmanship and sustainable products. Average order value $40-80. [E] Build an e-commerce store with: product catalog with filtering by color/size, shopping cart, Stripe checkout, order confirmation emails, and admin dashboard to manage inventory. [R] You are an e-commerce web developer. [N] Design should be warm and earthy (beige/terracotta palette), with large product photos and minimal text. Tone: friendly and authentic. [E] Layout similar to Etsy product pages but cleaner. [L] Start with 20 products, mobile-optimized.
Put It Into Practice
Now that you understand KERNEL and DEPTH, it's time to apply these frameworks to your own projects.
KERNEL Framework
- K = Knowledge (context & background)
- E = Explicit (specific requirements)
- R = Role (persona for Manus)
- N = Nuance (style & tone)
- E = Examples (references)
- L = Length (scope & size)
DEPTH Framework
- D = Detail (granular specifics)
- E = Examples (before/after)
- P = Persona (target audience)
- T = Tone (communication voice)
- H = Hierarchy (priority & structure)
💾 Save this page for quick reference when writing prompts!