Prompt
Before you build anything, list the states <screen> can be in, one row each:
empty, loading, partial data, error, permission-limited, long content,
offline, destructive recovery. For each, write one line describing the
state in this product, or "not applicable" with a reason. Wait for me to
confirm the list.
Then build the happy path. Then build each confirmed state as a separate
step, in that order. Every state gets real content: the actual copy, a real
80-character name, the real error cause. Every state must be reachable via
<toggle convention>.
End with the list again, marking each state built and reachable, and the
line "N of M states covered".When to use it
Any prototype request. Fill in the screen and the project's toggle convention (a query parameter, a mock switch, a story).
Why the shape works
The list-then-wait step is what makes the states exist; a model asked to build "with all states" produces the happy path with a spinner. One state per step keeps each target small. The coverage line at the end turns the prototype into something countable. The method is in AI prototyping beyond the happy path.