AI Software Development Patterns #1 — INTENT PATTERN

Before asking AI to build software, ask: What are we actually trying to accomplish?

A user says:

“Build a chatbot for customer support.”

It sounds like a software requirement.

But is it?

Perhaps the real intent is:

Reduce repetitive support workload while helping customers resolve common problems faster.

These are very different statements.

The first describes a solution.

The second describes an outcome.

The Pattern

Request → Underlying Problem → User → Desired Outcome → Constraints → Intent

This is the Intent Pattern.

In AI software development, this pattern becomes especially important because AI can generate solutions extremely quickly.

But generating the wrong solution faster does not create value.

How AI can help

Instead of immediately generating architecture or code, AI can examine the request and ask:

• What underlying problem is being solved?
• Who experiences the problem?
• What outcome matters?
• What assumptions are hidden in the proposed solution?
• What constraints must be respected?
• Is the requested software actually the best way to achieve the outcome?

AI moves from being merely a code generator to becoming an intent explorer.

Human Judgment

AI can infer intent.

But humans must judge whether that inferred intent is correct.

Business priorities, user needs, organizational realities and trade-offs still require human judgment.

⚡ POWER PROMPT

“Analyse the following software request through an Intent Pattern.

Separate the requested solution from the underlying problem.

Identify:

the users affected,

the problem being experienced,

the desired outcome,

constraints,

assumptions hidden in the proposed solution.

Express the core intent as one clear outcome statement.

Do not propose a technical solution until the intent is clear.

Software request: [INSERT REQUEST]”

Artifact

Software Intent Statement

A simple artifact — but potentially one of the most important artifacts in AI software development.

Because when AI makes building easier, knowing what deserves to be built becomes even more important.

Pattern #1: Intent Pattern

Recognize the intent before generating the implementation.

Next → Pattern #2: Requirement Pattern

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This establishes a repeatable structure we can preserve across all 40 patterns, while making each Power Prompt genuinely specific to that pattern.