AI Settings & Models: Customize Your AI Experience

Just like you can adjust your phone's settings to work exactly how you prefer, you can customize your AI assistant to match your creative style, communication preferences, and project needs. Think of this as tuning your AI to be the perfect creative partner for you specifically.

This guide will show you how to personalize your AI experience so it feels like working with someone who truly understands your vision and way of working.

Understanding AI Models

Different AI models have different strengths, just like different tools in your creative toolkit. Understanding these differences helps you choose the right model for each task.

What Are AI Models?

Think of AI models like different types of creative professionals you might work with:

• GPT-4 is like a seasoned creative director - excellent at big-picture thinking, strategy, and complex problem-solving
• GPT-4 Turbo is like a fast, efficient designer - quick responses while maintaining high quality
• GPT-3.5 is like a reliable junior designer - good for straightforward tasks and quick iterations

Each model has been trained differently and excels in different areas.

Available Models in Mediaweb

GPT-4 (Recommended for Most Users)

• Best for: Complex design decisions, content strategy, detailed explanations
• Strengths: Deep understanding, creative problem-solving, comprehensive responses
• Speed: Slower but more thoughtful responses
• Use when: You need the highest quality output and don't mind waiting a bit longer

GPT-4 Turbo

• Best for: Quick iterations, rapid prototyping, fast feedback
• Strengths: Speed while maintaining quality, efficient responses
• Speed: Much faster responses
• Use when: You're in a creative flow and need quick feedback and adjustments

GPT-3.5 Turbo

• Best for: Simple tasks, basic content creation, quick questions
• Strengths: Very fast, cost-effective, good for straightforward requests
• Speed: Fastest responses
• Use when: You need quick answers or are working on simple, well-defined tasks

Choosing the Right Model

For Creative Strategy Sessions: Use GPT-4

• Planning your overall website structure
• Developing your brand voice and messaging
• Making complex design decisions
• Creating comprehensive content strategies

For Active Building Sessions: Use GPT-4 Turbo

• Making rapid design adjustments
• Iterating on layouts and styling
• Getting quick feedback on changes
• Building and refining sections

For Quick Tasks: Use GPT-3.5 Turbo

• Simple text edits
• Basic color changes
• Quick questions about features
• Straightforward content updates

Customizing AI Behavior

You can adjust how your AI assistant communicates and works with you to match your preferences.

Communication Style Settings

Response Length:

• Detailed - Comprehensive explanations with context and alternatives
• Balanced - Moderate detail with key information and some context
• Concise - Brief, direct responses focused on action

Example of Different Styles:

Your Request: "Make my homepage header more eye-catching"

Detailed Response: "I'll help make your header more eye-catching! There are several approaches we could take based on your current design. First, I notice your header currently uses a standard layout with text on the left. We could enhance this by: 1) Adding a gradient background that complements your brand colors, 2) Increasing the font size and using a bolder weight, 3) Adding subtle animation effects, or 4) Including a compelling background image. Given your photography focus, I'd recommend starting with a striking background image from your portfolio, then adjusting the text styling for better contrast. Which approach feels right for your brand?"

Balanced Response: "I'll make your header more eye-catching! I can see a few ways to improve it: add a gradient background, make the text larger and bolder, or include a background image from your portfolio. Since you're a photographer, a striking background image would work well. Should I start with that approach?"

Concise Response: "I'll add a striking background image and make your header text larger and bolder. This will make it much more eye-catching."

Creativity Level

Conservative - Sticks to proven design principles and safe choices

• Best for: Professional services, corporate clients, traditional industries
• Approach: Classic layouts, established color schemes, conventional typography

Balanced - Mixes creativity with reliability

• Best for: Most creators, balanced approach to innovation and professionalism
• Approach: Modern designs with creative touches, current trends with timeless elements

Creative - Bold, innovative suggestions that push boundaries

• Best for: Artists, avant-garde creators, brands wanting to stand out dramatically
• Approach: Experimental layouts, unique color combinations, cutting-edge design trends

Explanation Depth

Technical - Includes design principles, technical details, and reasoning

• "I'm using a complementary color scheme (blue and orange) because they create high contrast and visual interest while maintaining harmony. The 60-30-10 rule applies here with blue as primary (60%), orange as secondary (30%), and white as accent (10%)."

Practical - Focuses on what's being done and why it helps your goals

• "I'm using blue and orange because they work well together and will help your call-to-action buttons stand out, which should increase clicks from visitors."

Simple - Basic explanations focused on the outcome

• "I'm using blue and orange because they look great together and will help your buttons get more clicks."

Advanced Settings

For users who want more control over their AI experience, advanced settings provide fine-tuned customization options.

Context Awareness

Full Context - AI considers your entire website, brand, and previous conversations

• Pros: Most personalized and consistent suggestions
• Cons: Slower processing, may be overwhelming for simple tasks

Session Context - AI remembers the current conversation but not previous sessions

• Pros: Good balance of personalization and speed
• Cons: May not remember your long-term preferences

Minimal Context - AI focuses only on the immediate request

• Pros: Fastest responses, good for quick tasks
• Cons: Less personalized, may suggest things that don't fit your brand

Suggestion Confidence

High Confidence Only - AI only suggests changes it's very confident about

• Pros: Fewer mistakes, more reliable suggestions
• Cons: May miss creative opportunities, more conservative approach

Balanced Confidence - AI suggests a mix of safe and creative options

• Pros: Good balance of reliability and innovation
• Cons: May occasionally suggest things that don't work perfectly

All Suggestions - AI shares all ideas, even experimental ones

• Pros: Maximum creativity and options
• Cons: May include suggestions that don't work well, requires more filtering

Learning Preferences

Adaptive Learning - AI learns from your feedback and adjusts over time

• The AI remembers what you like and don't like
• Suggestions become more personalized with use
• Your AI assistant becomes more effective over time

Session Learning - AI learns within each conversation but resets between sessions

• Good for trying different approaches
• Prevents the AI from getting "stuck" in patterns
• Each session starts fresh

No Learning - AI doesn't adapt based on your feedback

• Consistent behavior across all sessions
• Good for teams where multiple people use the same account
• Predictable responses every time

Optimizing for Different Use Cases

Different types of projects benefit from different AI configurations.

Portfolio Website Creation

Recommended Settings:

• Model: GPT-4 (for strategic thinking)
• Communication: Balanced detail
• Creativity: Balanced to Creative
• Context: Full context
• Confidence: Balanced

Why These Settings Work: Portfolio websites need strategic thinking about how to present your work effectively. The AI needs to understand your full brand and body of work to make cohesive suggestions.

Media Kit Development

Recommended Settings:

• Model: GPT-4 (for professional presentation)
• Communication: Detailed
• Creativity: Conservative to Balanced
• Context: Full context
• Confidence: High confidence only

Why These Settings Work: Media kits need to be professional and error-free since they're used for business purposes. Detailed explanations help you understand why certain approaches work for brand partnerships.

Quick Updates and Maintenance

Recommended Settings:

• Model: GPT-3.5 Turbo (for speed)
• Communication: Concise
• Creativity: Conservative
• Context: Session context
• Confidence: High confidence only

Why These Settings Work: For quick updates, you want fast, reliable changes without overthinking. Conservative creativity ensures changes don't accidentally break your existing design.

Experimental Design Work

Recommended Settings:

• Model: GPT-4 (for creative thinking)
• Communication: Detailed
• Creativity: Creative
• Context: Full context
• Confidence: All suggestions

Why These Settings Work: When experimenting, you want maximum creativity and detailed explanations of different approaches. Full context helps ensure experiments still fit your brand.

Managing AI Performance

Understanding how to optimize AI performance helps you get better results faster.

Token Usage and Limits

What Are Tokens? Think of tokens like words or pieces of information the AI processes. Each conversation uses tokens, and different models have different limits.

Optimizing Token Usage:

• Be specific in your requests to avoid back-and-forth clarification
• Use shorter context settings for simple tasks
• Break complex projects into smaller, focused conversations
• Clear conversation history when starting completely new projects

Response Speed Optimization

For Faster Responses:

• Use GPT-3.5 Turbo for simple tasks
• Choose "Concise" communication style
• Use "Session Context" instead of "Full Context"
• Be specific in your requests

For Higher Quality (Slower) Responses:

• Use GPT-4 for complex tasks
• Choose "Detailed" communication style
• Use "Full Context" for personalized suggestions
• Allow time for the AI to process complex requests

Quality vs. Speed Balance

High-Quality Mode (Slower but Better):

• Use for important decisions
• When creating content that represents your brand
• For complex design challenges
• When you have time to wait for thoughtful responses

Speed Mode (Faster but Simpler):

• Use for quick edits and adjustments
• When iterating rapidly on designs
• For simple questions and clarifications
• When you're in a creative flow and need quick feedback

Troubleshooting Common Settings Issues

Sometimes AI settings don't work as expected. Here's how to diagnose and fix common problems.

AI Responses Don't Match Your Style

Problem: The AI suggests things that don't feel right for your brand

Solutions:

• Increase context awareness to "Full Context"
• Provide more specific feedback about your preferences
• Adjust creativity level to better match your style
• Give the AI examples of what you like and don't like

Responses Are Too Slow

Problem: You're waiting too long for AI responses

Solutions:

• Switch to a faster model (GPT-3.5 Turbo or GPT-4 Turbo)
• Reduce communication detail to "Concise"
• Use "Session Context" instead of "Full Context"
• Break complex requests into smaller parts

Responses Are Too Simple

Problem: The AI isn't giving you enough detail or creative options

Solutions:

• Switch to GPT-4 for more sophisticated responses
• Increase communication detail to "Detailed"
• Raise creativity level to "Creative"
• Ask follow-up questions for more options

AI Doesn't Remember Your Preferences

Problem: The AI keeps suggesting things you've already said you don't like

Solutions:

• Enable "Adaptive Learning" if it's turned off
• Increase context awareness to "Full Context"
• Be more explicit about your preferences in conversations
• Provide consistent feedback about what works and doesn't work

Best Practices for AI Settings

Follow these guidelines to get the most out of your customized AI experience:

Start with Defaults, Then Customize

Initial Setup:

1. Begin with recommended default settings
2. Use the AI for a few projects to understand your preferences
3. Gradually adjust settings based on your experience
4. Fine-tune settings for different types of work

Match Settings to Tasks

Create Setting Profiles:

• Creative Strategy Profile: GPT-4, Detailed, Creative, Full Context
• Quick Edits Profile: GPT-3.5 Turbo, Concise, Conservative, Session Context
• Learning Profile: GPT-4, Detailed, Balanced, Full Context with Adaptive Learning

Regular Settings Review

Monthly Check-ins:

• Review which settings worked best for different projects
• Adjust based on how your needs have evolved
• Experiment with settings you haven't tried
• Update preferences as you become more experienced

Team Settings (If Applicable)

For Shared Accounts:

• Use consistent settings across team members
• Document which settings work best for different project types
• Consider using "No Learning" to prevent conflicting preferences
• Create shared guidelines for AI interaction

Advanced Customization Tips

For power users who want maximum control over their AI experience:

Custom Prompting Strategies

Context Priming: Start conversations with context about your goals, audience, and preferences to get better initial responses.

Iterative Refinement: Use follow-up questions to guide the AI toward your preferred approach rather than starting over.

Feedback Loops: Regularly tell the AI what's working and what isn't to improve future suggestions.

Workflow Integration

Project-Based Settings: Adjust settings at the start of each new project based on its specific requirements.

Phase-Based Adjustments: Use different settings for different phases (planning, building, refining, optimizing).

Collaborative Workflows: Coordinate settings with team members or clients who might also interact with the AI.

Next Steps

Now that you understand AI settings and customization:

Immediate Actions

1. Review your current settings - Are they optimized for how you work?
2. Experiment with different models - Try each one for different types of tasks
3. Create setting profiles - Set up configurations for different types of work
4. Monitor performance - Pay attention to which settings give you the best results

Advanced Learning

• Getting Started with AI - Review the basics with your new settings knowledge
• AI Capabilities - Understand how settings affect different AI capabilities
• Website Builder Basics - See how AI settings impact the building process

Remember: Settings Serve Your Creativity

The goal of customizing AI settings isn't to make the AI more complex - it's to make it work better for your specific creative process and goals. The best settings are the ones that feel invisible because they help the AI understand and support your vision seamlessly.

Don't be afraid to experiment with different configurations. Your needs may change as you grow as a creator, and your AI settings should evolve with you.

The perfect AI assistant is one that feels like an extension of your own creative thinking - anticipating your needs, understanding your style, and helping you achieve your vision more efficiently than ever before.

Happy customizing! ⚙️✨