A fashion designer’s day, with Copilot.
A day designing a new shirt range, from the first concepts to the approved design on screen in front of the buyers, then the jobs that come after it. Every prompt says what you need, in what form, and what Copilot must not guess.
Eight moments. Nine prompts.
Copy a prompt, press Open Copilot to start Microsoft 365 in a new tab, attach your brief or open your file and paste it in. Words in [brackets] are yours to fill in.
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Copilot Chat8:00
Turn the brief into concepts
Start with ideas, not pictures. Three clear directions give you something to react to now, and something to show the approver later.
Three concept directionsAct as a creative director for a clothing brand. I’m designing [a summer range of men’s short-sleeve shirts] for [brand name], aimed at [customer - e.g. men aged 25-40 who want a shirt smart enough for the office and relaxed enough for the weekend]. The brief is attached. Give me three distinct concept directions. For each one: a name, the mood in one sentence, the print or pattern idea, a palette of four colours, the fabric and fit that suit it, and why it would appeal to this customer. Before finishing, check each direction answers the brief and that no two feel the same.
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Copilot Chat9:00
See the concepts as shirts
Ask Copilot for a picture of each direction, then for colourways of the same shirt. These are concept visuals to agree a direction, not the final print artwork.
Concept imageCreate an image of a [short-sleeve button-up shirt] for the [concept name] concept, shown as a flat-lay product photo on a plain light-grey background. Fabric: [linen-cotton blend]. Print: [small all-over leaf pattern in sage, cream and terracotta]. Collar: [Cuban collar]. Show the whole shirt from the front, with no model, no logo and no text.
Colourways of the same shirtKeep the same shirt, background and layout. Create three versions with the print in these colourways: [colourway 1], [colourway 2] and [colourway 3]. Change nothing else, so the versions can be compared side by side.
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Copilot in Outlook11:00
Send the concepts for approval
Approvers answer faster when the email opens with the decision you need and the date you need it by. Attach the concept images and let Copilot draft the rest.
Approval requestDraft an email to [approver name], [their role], asking for approval of the shirt concepts for [range name]. I’ve attached [three] concept images. Open with the decision I need and the deadline: a choice of one concept by [day and date], so samples can be ordered in time for [launch date]. Then give one line per concept saying what makes it different. Ask them to reply with the concept they choose and any changes. Keep it under 150 words, friendly and direct.
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Copilot in Outlook13:30
Sort the feedback
Replies come in from the buyer, the brand manager and production, and they don’t always agree. Get the decision and the list of changes in one place before you redraw anything.
Approval and changesSummarise the replies in this thread. Tell me which concept was approved and by whom, list every change requested as a checklist with the name of the person who asked for it, and flag any feedback that contradicts other feedback. Then tell me who hasn’t replied yet. Only use what’s in the thread.
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Copilot in PowerPoint14:30
Present the approved design
Once the design is approved, type / in Copilot to pick the brief and build the deck around it, then add the approved images to the design slides.
Six-slide design presentationCreate a presentation from /[design brief] to present the approved [concept name] shirt to [the buying team]. Use 6 slides: the brief and the customer, the concept and mood, the final design, the colourways, fabric and fit, and next steps with dates. One idea per slide, a short headline and no more than three bullets each. Leave room on the design and colourway slides for me to add the approved images. Before finishing, check every detail matches the brief.
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Copilot in Word15:30
Brief the factory
The factory needs every detail in one place. Ask Copilot to mark the gaps instead of filling them, so a guess never reaches the production line.
Production briefAct as a garment technologist. Draft a one-page production brief for the factory making the [concept name] shirt. Include: style name and code [code], fabric and composition, colourways, print placement and repeat, collar, buttons and trims, size range [S-XXL], quantities per size and colour [quantities], labels and packaging, and the sample deadline [date]. Use a table where it helps. Mark anything I haven’t given you as “to confirm” instead of guessing. Before finishing, check the quantities cover every size and colourway in the range.
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Copilot in Excel16:15
Check the shirt pays for itself
Before the sample order goes out, check the margin on each style, while there’s still time to change the fabric or the price.
Cost and margin per styleAct as a product costing analyst. This sheet lists each shirt style with fabric cost per metre, metres per shirt, print cost, buttons and trims, making cost and selling price. Add columns for total cost per shirt, gross margin in rand and margin as a percentage, and flag any style below [55%] margin in red. Write a two-line summary of which styles need a cheaper fabric or a higher price. Before finishing, check the totals add up on at least three rows.
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Copilot Chat16:45
Write the launch copy
The shirt needs words before it goes on sale: a product page and posts for launch day, written from the details you’ve already agreed.
Product page and social postsAct as a copywriter for [brand name]. Write the online store copy for the [concept name] shirt from these details: [fabric, fit, colourways, sizes, care instructions]. Give me a product name, a 60-word description that sells the feeling as well as the features, five bullet points of key details, and three social media captions for launch day, each under 25 words. Use plain English. Only use the details I’ve given, and don’t invent claims about sustainability or quality.
Creating images, and Copilot in Outlook, PowerPoint, Word and Excel, depend on your Microsoft 365 Copilot licence and the features your IT team has switched on. Copilot’s images are concept visuals for agreeing a direction: draw the final print artwork yourself, and check it doesn’t look like another brand’s design. Copilot in Excel works on files saved to OneDrive or SharePoint.
- Concepts by mid-morningThree directions and a picture of each shirt, ready to react to, before the first meeting of the day.
- A faster yesAn approval email that asks for one decision by one date, and a clear checklist of the changes that come back.
- Ready for productionThe presentation, the factory brief, a margin check and the launch copy, all from details you’ve agreed.
Three habits that make every prompt better.
- Describe it like a specName the garment, fabric, collar, print and background. The more exact the description, the closer the image gets to the shirt in your head.
- Change one thing at a timeWhen an image is close, ask Copilot to keep everything the same and change one detail, so you can compare versions fairly.
- Ask it to mark the gapsTell Copilot to mark missing details as “to confirm” instead of guessing. A guessed button size costs far more at the factory than in the brief.
Prompts for other roles.
- Day in the lifeBusiness LeaderFrom the morning briefing to tomorrow’s prep.Get the prompts →
- Day in the lifeBusiness ManagerFrom the overnight inbox to the last reply.Get the prompts →
- Day in the lifeBusiness AnalystFrom a messy export to the executive summary.Get the prompts →
- Day in the lifeFinancial AnalystFrom sorting cost data to what-if scenarios.Get the prompts →
- Day in the lifeFinance ManagerFrom cash runway to the board scorecard.Get the prompts →
- Day in the lifeAccount ManagerFrom prepping the pitch to the follow-up.Get the prompts →
- Day in the lifeIssues Management ManagerFrom a media enquiry to the approved statement.Get the prompts →
- Day in the lifeMarketing ManagerFrom the swag shortlist to the hand-out.Get the prompts →
One day is the start, not the finish.
Get your first win with the Quick Win Checklist, then turn it into a habit across your team with The Copilot Playbook.
Want prompts like these for your own team?
We’ll look at how your people actually spend their day and build the prompts and habits that fit it.
