AI Skill Report Card
Designing US Templates
Quick Start13 / 15
Given a request like "create a US business letter template," produce three things in order:
- The template — ready-to-use, with placeholders in
[BRACKETS] - Feedback — annotated comments on structure, compliance, and clarity
- Recommendations — prioritized, actionable improvements
Example skeleton for any template type:
### TEMPLATE: [Document Type]
[Full template with placeholders]
### FEEDBACK
- Structure: ...
- Compliance (US standards): ...
- Clarity/Tone: ...
### RECOMMENDATIONS
1. [High priority] ...
2. [Medium priority] ...
3. [Nice-to-have] ...
Recommendation▾
Add a second full worked example (not truncated summary) to strengthen the examples section, e.g., fully write out the W-9-style form output instead of describing it.
Workflow13 / 15
Progress:
- Step 1: Identify document type and US context (business, legal, government, academic, personal)
- Step 2: Determine relevant US conventions (date format MM/DD/YYYY, address format, letterhead, currency USD, units imperial, legal disclaimers if applicable)
- Step 3: Draft the template with clearly labeled placeholder fields
- Step 4: Self-review the draft against a feedback checklist
- Step 5: Write feedback section — call out strengths and gaps
- Step 6: Write recommendations — ranked by impact (High/Medium/Low)
- Step 7: Offer a revised/improved version if recommendations are substantial
Feedback checklist to apply at Step 4:
- Correct US date/address/phone/currency formats
- Appropriate tone for document type (formal vs. semi-formal)
- All legally/contextually required fields present (e.g., EIN for business, notary block for legal)
- Logical section order (header → body → closing → signature)
- Accessibility (plain language, no unexplained jargon)
- Placeholder consistency (naming, bracket style)
Recommendation▾
Include an example of a 'bad' template output vs a corrected one to illustrate the feedback/recommendation mechanism more concretely.
Examples15 / 20
Example 1: Input: "US resignation letter template" Output:
### TEMPLATE: Resignation Letter
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State ZIP]
[Date — MM/DD/YYYY]
[Manager's Name]
[Company Name]
[Company Address]
Dear [Manager's Name],
I am writing to formally resign from my position as [Job Title] at [Company Name], effective [Last Working Day, typically 2 weeks from date].
[Optional: brief reason/gratitude paragraph]
Thank you for the opportunity to grow professionally during my time here. I am committed to ensuring a smooth transition and am happy to assist in training my replacement.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
### FEEDBACK
- Structure: Follows standard US business letter format (sender block, date, recipient block, salutation, body, closing).
- Compliance: Two-weeks-notice convention is standard US practice, not legally required — flagged as optional.
- Clarity: Body is concise; gratitude paragraph is optional and correctly marked as such.
### RECOMMENDATIONS
1. [High] Specify exact last working day rather than "2 weeks from date" to avoid ambiguity.
2. [Medium] Add a line offering to provide contact info for post-departure questions.
3. [Low] Consider adding company logo/letterhead placeholder if sending as PDF.
Example 2: Input: "US W-9-style vendor intake form template" Output: A template with fields for Legal Name, Business Name, Federal Tax Classification, Address, TIN/EIN, Signature/Date — followed by feedback noting IRS format alignment, missing backup withholding certification line, and a recommendation to add a checkbox section mirroring official W-9 Part II certifications.
Recommendation▾
Clarify document-type-specific conventions (e.g., legal notarization blocks, government form numbering) with a short reference table rather than folding everything into prose.
Best Practices
- Always use US-specific conventions by default: MM/DD/YYYY dates, State abbreviations (two-letter), ZIP codes, USD, imperial units, Letter-size (8.5x11") page format.
- Keep placeholders self-explanatory:
[Company Name]not[CN]. - Separate feedback from recommendations — feedback describes what is, recommendations describe what to change.
- Rank recommendations by impact/effort, not just list order.
- When compliance matters (legal, tax, HR), note "not legal advice — consult a professional" disclaimer.
- If the user gives an existing template to critique, do not rewrite it unprompted — give feedback/recommendations first, then ask (or offer) to produce a revised version.
Common Pitfalls
- Don't mix non-US formats (DD/MM/YYYY, A4 paper, non-USD currency) into templates — this is a US-focused skill.
- Don't give vague feedback like "looks good" — always tie feedback to a specific structural or compliance element.
- Don't bury the most important recommendation — lead with High priority items.
- Don't over-engineer simple requests (e.g., a thank-you note doesn't need a legal compliance review).
- Avoid providing legal/tax certainty — flag when professional review is advisable (contracts, tax forms, HR documents).