How to set global instructions for AI

How to set global instructions for AI

This article explains how to set global instructions for AI in Visily. Global Instructions help you guide the AI with consistent preferences, so generated results stay more aligned with your project’s style, context, and requirements. 

Set up Global Instructions to guide Visily AI

  1. Open the Visily AI chat box from your workspace (Start with AI) or from inside a board (Visily AI).
  2. Click the Instructions button, then choose Add new. This opens the Global Instructions setup.


  3. Enter your project context in the dialog to create your Global Instructions. See the How to Write Effective Global Instructions section below for guidance.

  4. Double-click the instruction name to rename it, making it easier to identify and manage later.

  5. Click Save to save your instruction set. Once saved, it will be automatically applied to your AI design settings.


  6. Start generating in Plan Mode or Design Mode. The AI will use the active Global Instructions to guide future generations on that board.

How to write effective Global Instructions

Global Instructions help Visily AI understand your preferred design direction, style, and requirements before generating or updating designs. Writing clear and specific instructions can help AI produce results that better match your expectations and stay consistent across your board.

What your project context should include:
  1. App Basics: What it is
    1. Product name & platform: The name of the product and the platform you are building.
    2. Product overview: The product’s purpose and its main features.
    3. Brand identity: The app’s core value (e.g., trust, speed) and its overall personality (e.g., fun, serious).
  2. Design & Experience: The look and feel
    1. Logo usage: A description of your logo and key rules for how to use it.
    2. Color system: All main colors, including their exact codes (HEX/RGB), and what they are used for.
    3. Typography & Text usage: Describe the font name or font’s style (e.g., modern, academic) and how text sizes compare.
    4. Imagery and Illustration: The required style for photos, images, and any drawn illustrations.
    5. UI components & Visual style: Rules for buttons, icons, and interface elements (e.g., rounded or sharp corners).
    6. Layout & Spacing: Which screen element is most important, and how content should be laid out.
    7. Accessibility & Inclusivity (WCAG Contrast): Mandatory rules to ensure the app is readable and usable by everyone.
    8. Brand consistency — Do’s and Don’ts: Rules on how the brand must be used, and what to avoid.
This is an example of an effective project context:
Quote
1. App Basics
YouTube is the global video sharing platform, available across Web and mobile devices
Users engage with YouTube for:
– Video discovery and playback.
– Content upload and channel management.
– Interaction via comments and subscriptions.

Brand Identity: The core value is Empowerment, Connection, and Discovery. The personality is Energetic, Immediate, and Essential. All design adheres to the principles of Content Dominance, Low Friction, and Scalability.

2. Design & Experience: The Look and Feel
Logo Usage: The YouTube Logo is the main asset.
– DO use the official logo file and maintain the required clear space.
– DON’T modify, stretch, or alter the logo’s colors or proportions.

Color System: The palette is minimal, high-contrast, and action-focused.
– YouTube Red: #FF0000 — Primary accent for the Play icon and Subscribe button.
– Almost Black: #212121 — Primary base for text (Light Mode) and backgrounds (Dark Mode).
– White: #FFFFFF — Secondary base for backgrounds (Light Mode) and text (Dark Mode).
– Medium Gray: #AAAAAA — Used for secondary text and metadata.
– Highlight Gray: #F0F0F0 — Used for subtle background differentiation.

Typography & Text Usage:
– Font Family: Roboto (Sans-serif) is used exclusively across all platforms.
– Hierarchy: Titles use Bold weight; body text uses Regular.
– Tone: Language is direct, energetic, and supportive; secondary information uses a smaller size and lighter color.

Imagery and Illustration:
– Thumbnails (Imagery): Must be high-resolution, expressive, and high-contrast to maximize clicks.
– Icons (Illustration): Geometric, clean, and minimalist (Material style). The Play icon is the core functional symbol.

UI Components & Visual Style:
– Clean, functional design following Material principles.
– Cards & Shapes: Use subtle rounded corners (4-8px radius).

Layout & Spacing: Adaptive design using a responsive grid.
– Priority: The Video Player or Thumbnail Card is always the focal point of the screen.
– Spacing: Apply an 8dp grid for all margins and padding (Grid Consistency).

Accessibility & Inclusivity (WCAG Contrast):
– All text must meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards with a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 against the background color.

Brand Consistency — Do’s and Don’ts: Rules for third-party use and naming.
– DO link back to YouTube content when referencing the brand externally.
– DON’T use any variant of “YouTube” (e.g., “YT”) in the name of a third-party product.

Idea
If you want to include your logo in the generated design, upload it in the chat box and ask Visily AI to use it as the logo. We recommend using logos with a transparent background so they look good on any background color. You can upload up to 5 logos in PNG, JPG, WebP, or SVG format, with a maximum file size of 5MB each.

TIPS

  1. To keep the style of the generated design consistent, make your Global Instructions very detailed. You can even paste in your design system here.
  2. Use clear lists in your instructions (like using a dash – for bullet points).
  3. Update these instructions as your project changes to make sure they’re always accurate.
  4. Tweak and iterate your context to refine results. Even a few lines can make a meaningful difference.
Notes
To update an existing instruction set, open the Instructions menu, click the Edit icon next to the instruction you want to change, make your edits, and save the changes.

Notes

  1. If there is any conflict between your prompt and the active Global Instructions, the prompt for that specific generation will take priority.
  2. You can create multiple instruction sets, but only one can be active at a time. 
  3. Global Instructions are shared with everyone on the board, which helps your team stay consistent across all designs.
Need more help?
If this does not solve your issue, contact support and include a screenshot if possible.

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