AI vs Manual Edits
Master when to use Buzzy AI v3 prompts vs the visual Design editor. Learn decision frameworks, best practices, and efficiency strategies for optimal productivity.
The Core Question
Non-technical explanation: When building in Buzzy, you have two tools—like having both a power drill and a screwdriver. The power drill (Buzzy AI v3) is fast and powerful for big structural changes. The screwdriver (visual Design editor) gives you precision control for fine-tuning details. Using the right tool at the right time makes you 10x more productive.
As you build your Buzzy application, you'll constantly face this decision:
🤖 Should I prompt Buzzy AI v3 to make this change?
🎨 Or should I just use the visual Design editor?
Getting this right dramatically affects productivity and efficiency. The key difference from traditional code development: With Buzzy, there's no code to manually edit. Instead, you choose between AI prompts (for structural changes) and visual editing (for refinements).
Decision impact:
When to Use Buzzy AI v3 Prompts
Ideal for AI Prompts
1. Creating New Datatables and Relationships
✅ Use AI prompts when:
Adding new Datatables to your app
Creating Subtables (1:M relationships)
Setting up Linked Table Fields (N:M relationships)
Defining field types and structures
Example: "Add a Categories datatable and link it to Products using a Linked Table Field so products can have multiple categories"
Why: Buzzy AI v3 understands data relationships and generates the proper structure
2. Generating New Screens
✅ Use AI prompts when:
Creating new screens from scratch
Adding standard screen types (list, detail, form)
Building complete user workflows
Setting up navigation between screens
Example: "Create a Project Detail screen that shows project info, has an edit button, and displays the Tasks subtable below"
Why: AI generates complete screen structures with proper components and navigation
3. Adding Features with Data Changes
✅ Use AI prompts when:
Features require new Datatables or fields
Need to modify data relationships
Adding functionality that touches multiple screens
Implementing features with business logic
Example: "Add user assignments to tasks - create an Assignments subtable with user and role fields, show assignments in task detail, and add an 'Assign User' button"
Why: AI can handle the data model changes and screen updates together
4. Large-Scale Refactoring
✅ Use AI prompts when:
Renaming Datatables throughout the app
Changing data relationships (Subtable to Linked Field, etc.)
Restructuring screen flows
Major navigation changes
Example: "Rename the 'Items' datatable to 'Products' throughout the entire app, including all screens, relationships, and references"
Why: AI tracks changes across the entire App Definition consistently
5. Implementing Standard Patterns
✅ Use AI prompts when:
Adding search and filter functionality
Implementing common workflows
Setting up authentication screens
Creating typical CRUD operations
Example: "Add search functionality to the Products list screen that searches across product name and description"
Why: Buzzy AI v3 knows how to implement these patterns correctly
When to Use Buzzy's Visual Design Editor
Ideal for Visual Editor
1. Small UI Adjustments
✅ Use Design editor when:
Changing button labels or colors
Adjusting field placeholders
Reordering components on a screen
Changing text content
Example: Changing "Submit" button to "Save Changes" - just click the button in Design tab and update the label
Why: Much faster than prompting AI for tiny changes
2. Fine-Tuning Display Rules
✅ Use Design editor when:
Adjusting when components are visible
Tweaking conditional logic for display
Testing different display rule conditions
Refining user experience based on states
Example: Adjusting display rule from status = "active" to status = "active" OR status = "pending"
Why: Quick to test and iterate in visual editor
3. Layout and Styling Refinements
✅ Use Design editor when:
Adjusting component spacing
Changing layout arrangements
Updating colors and themes
Fine-tuning mobile vs desktop views
Example: Moving a button from top of screen to bottom, or adjusting card spacing
Why: Immediate visual feedback, no need to describe desired layout to AI
4. Action Configuration
✅ Use Design editor when:
Configuring submit actions
Setting up navigation actions
Adjusting what happens when buttons are clicked
Fine-tuning form submissions
Example: Changing a button action to navigate to a different screen after submit
Why: Visual action editor is intuitive and immediate
5. Iterative UX Improvements
✅ Use Design editor when:
Refining based on user feedback
Testing different arrangements
Polishing the user experience
Making multiple small adjustments
Example: Rearranging form fields, adjusting labels, changing button positions based on user testing
Why: Rapid iteration without waiting for AI
The Hybrid Approach
Often the best strategy combines both AI prompts and Visual editor:
Hybrid Pattern: AI First, Visual Polish
1. Generate with AI prompts: Get 80% of the way there quickly with Buzzy AI v3
2. Review: Test in preview mode and identify what needs refinement
3. Visual editor refinements: Polish the remaining 20% using Design tab
Example:
Step 1 (AI prompt): "Create a user registration form with email, password,
confirm password, and terms acceptance. Include validation
that email is properly formatted and passwords match."
Step 2 (Review in preview): Form works but could be improved:
- Button text should say "Create Account" not "Submit"
- Form fields could use better placeholder text
- Error messages appear but styling could be friendlier
Step 3 (Visual editor): In Design tab:
- Click button, change label to "Create Account"
- Update placeholders in each field
- Adjust error message stylingHybrid Pattern: Visual Foundation, AI Expansion
1. Refine core with visual editor: Get critical UX details right
2. Use AI to expand: Add standard features quickly with prompts
3. Review integration: Test in preview to ensure new parts work well together
Example:
Step 1 (Visual editor): Perfect the login screen layout and error states
Step 2 (AI prompt): "Add password reset flow with email verification"
Step 3 (Preview test): Verify reset flow navigation works smoothly with login screenDecision Framework
Use this flowchart thinking for Buzzy:
Need to make a change?
|
├─ Is it a simple UI tweak (button label, color, spacing)?
│ └─ YES → Use Design editor (faster than prompting)
│
├─ Does it involve new Datatables or relationships?
│ └─ YES → Use AI prompt
│
├─ Is it a new screen or component?
│ └─ YES → Use AI prompt
│
├─ Is it repetitive across multiple screens?
│ └─ YES → Use AI prompt for consistency
│
├─ Does it require understanding existing app structure?
│ └─ YES → Review Data and Design tabs first, then choose
│
├─ Is it adjusting display rules or actions?
│ └─ YES → Use Design editor (visual, immediate feedback)
│
├─ Is it a standard pattern (search, filter, CRUD)?
│ └─ YES → Use AI prompt + review in Design tab
│
└─ When in doubt → Try AI prompt first, refine with Design editorCommon Mistakes
Mistake 1: Using AI for Everything
Problem: Prompting Buzzy AI v3 for every tiny UI change
Issues:
Slower than using Design editor
AI might change unintended parts of your app
You learn less about Buzzy's visual editor capabilities
Wastes time describing simple changes
Fix: Use Design editor for simple UI tweaks (button labels, colors, spacing)
Mistake 2: Avoiding AI Too Much
Problem: Trying to build everything with visual editor only
Issues:
Unnecessarily slow for complex features
Missing the speed benefits of AI generation
Manually recreating patterns AI knows well
Error-prone when building repetitive structures
Fix: Use AI prompts for new Datatables, screens, and standard patterns
Mistake 3: Not Reviewing AI-Generated Structure
Problem: Accepting AI-generated App Definition without checking
Issues:
Wrong data relationships (using Linked Field when should use Subtable)
Missing security (no Viewers fields or Team access)
Incorrect display rules
Navigation doesn't match user flow
Fix: Always review Brief, Blueprint, Data, and Design tabs after AI generates
Mistake 4: Wrong Prompt Granularity
Problem: Asking AI to change too much or too little at once
Issues:
Too much: "Rebuild my entire app with these 10 new features" → AI gets confused
Too little: "Change the Submit button to Save" → Faster to use Design editor
Fix: Find the right granularity:
Screen level: ✅ Good for AI ("Create a project detail screen...")
Button label: ❌ Too small, use Design editor
Entire app rebuild: ❌ Too large, break into features
Buzzy AI Prompt Quality Matters
When using Buzzy AI v3, prompt quality makes a huge difference:
Bad Buzzy Prompts
❌ "Fix the form" ❌ "Make it responsive" ❌ "Add validation" ❌ "Update the styling"
Problems:
Vague, unclear intent
AI must guess what you want
Often generates something different than you envisioned
Requires multiple iterations
Good Buzzy Prompts
✅ "Add email format validation to the User Registration form that displays 'Please enter a valid email' error message below the email field when the format is invalid"
✅ "Create a Tasks subtable field in the Projects datatable so each project can have multiple tasks with title, description, and due_date fields"
✅ "Add a display rule to the Submit Report button so it's only visible when the report status = 'Draft' AND the current user is the report creator"
✅ "Create a Reports List screen that shows only reports where the current user is in the Viewers field, with search functionality across report name and description"
Why better:
Specific about Buzzy concepts (Datatables, Subtables, display rules, Viewers)
Clear expected behavior
Uses Buzzy-specific terminology
Easier for Buzzy AI to implement correctly
Less iteration needed
Measuring Effectiveness
Track whether you're using Buzzy AI and Design editor effectively:
Good signals:
AI-generated structure works first try 80%+ of the time
You understand the Brief, Data, and Design that AI creates
Visual editor refinements are quick and precise
Mix of AI prompts and Design editor feels natural
Productivity is high
Apps work well in preview mode
Bad signals:
Constantly re-prompting AI to fix mistakes
Don't understand the Datatables and relationships AI created
Spending more time describing changes than Design editor would take
Always choosing only AI or only Design editor (not using both strategically)
App breaks frequently when making changes
Quick Reference Guide
Fix typo in button text
✅
Faster to click and edit
Create new Datatable
✅
AI understands data structures
Change button color
✅
Visual feedback immediate
Add Subtable relationship
✅
AI handles relationship setup
Adjust display rule condition
✅
Visual editor shows logic clearly
Create search functionality
✅
Standard pattern AI knows
Reorder screen components
✅
Drag-and-drop in Design tab
Generate new screen
✅
AI creates complete structure
Set up Organizations security
✅
Complex pattern, AI helps
Change field placeholder
✅
One click in Design tab
Create Linked Table Field
✅
AI handles N:M relationships
Adjust spacing/margins
✅
Visual, immediate feedback
Next Steps
Need to undo changes: Rollback Strategies
Making changes effectively: Making Changes
Ready to test your app: Testing Approaches
Key Takeaway: The best Buzzy builders know when to use AI prompts and when to use the Design editor. It's not about using AI more—it's about using AI strategically and combining it with visual editing for maximum efficiency.
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