Claude Code for Non-Developers Training Course

Phase 1 — Introduction to Claude Code — 55 minutes

• An overview of Claude and what distinguishes Claude Code from standard chat interfaces
• The Claude product suite: claude.ai, Claude Desktop, Claude Code (CLI), and their interrelationships
• Interface navigation: touring the Claude app, initiating a coding session, and understanding the workspace
• The Claude Code workflow: the describe → plan → act → review cycle
• Understanding permissions: why Claude requests confirmation before creating files or executing code
• First build experience: instructing Claude to create a simple styled webpage from a one-sentence description
• Refining results: issuing commands such as “make the header bigger,” “change the color scheme,” or “add a navigation bar”
• Guided Exercise: Participants open the Claude app, start a Claude Code session, and build a personalized “About Me” webpage by describing their needs in plain English. They practice refining the output through follow-up instructions.

Objective: Ensure all participants are comfortable with the interface and have overcome the initial interaction barrier.

Break — 10 minutes

Phase 2 — Creating Real Solutions with Plain English — 70 minutes

This constitutes the core of the morning session. Participants will complete four tasks of increasing complexity using only natural language prompts.

• Task 1 — Interactive Dashboard: Instruct Claude Code to build a styled dashboard displaying sample data with charts, statistics, and a clean layout. Practice providing design direction such as “use a dark theme,” “add a sidebar,” or “make it responsive.”
• Task 2 — Data Analysis: Provide Claude with a sample CSV file and request it to summarize the data, identify trends, determine highest and lowest values, and generate a visual chart. This demonstrates how Claude writes and executes code on your behalf.
• Task 3 — Document Generation: Ask Claude to read a data file and produce a formatted report, such as a sales summary, project status update, or meeting recap. This illustrates how Claude can transform raw data into polished deliverables.
• Task 4 — Automation Tool: Request that Claude build a simple utility, such as a unit converter, quiz app, or budget calculator. This introduces the concept that Claude can create interactive tools, not just static pages.

Following each task, the instructor highlights the behind-the-scenes actions: which files were created, what code was written, and how to interpret the output. Participants record their most effective prompts in a shared Prompt Playbook.

Break — 10 minutes

Phase 3 — Advanced Techniques with Claude Code — 50 minutes

• The craft of effective prompting: comparing specific versus vague instructions
• Live demonstration: A side-by-side comparison of weak and strong prompts applied to the same task
• Iteration and refinement: Asking Claude to explain its reasoning, undo changes, or try alternative approaches
• Working with uploaded files: Using prompts like “read this document and summarize it” or “convert this spreadsheet into a chart”
• Multi-step workflows: Chaining requests to build complex outputs (e.g., “first analyze this data, then build a dashboard from the results”)
• Understanding cost and usage: How tokens, context windows, and subscription tiers function
• Choosing between Claude Code and standard Claude chat
• Guided Exercise: Participants select one of their Phase 2 projects and extend it with two new features using a multi-step prompt chain. They then compare their pre- and post-extension prompts to identify key differences.

Objective: Progress from “it works” to “I can consistently achieve high-quality results.”

Break — 10 minutes

Phase 4 — Your Claude Workflows: Live Build Session — 60 minutes

This phase shifts the dynamic of the room. Instead of individual practice, the group builds together. While the instructor guides the process, participants drive the direction by naming real problems from their own jobs, suggesting prompt ideas, and debating trade-offs. The aim is to develop prompt judgment by observing a skilled professional navigate uncertainty in real time.

Three workflow archetypes structure the session:

• Transform — Converting input X into output Y (e.g., meeting notes → action items; raw data → summary email; customer feedback → themed report)
• Draft — Generating a first version of content you would normally write from scratch (e.g., proposals, emails, job descriptions, social media posts)
• Analyze — Investigating a document or dataset that lacks the time for careful reading (e.g., a 40-page report, a survey spreadsheet, or a contract)

Setup and Context (10 min): The instructor introduces the three archetypes and explains the session mechanics. Participants submit real workflow problems from their jobs via a shared document or chat.

Live Build #1 — Transform Workflow (20 min): The instructor selects one submitted problem and builds it live, with the room contributing prompt ideas, pushbacks, and refinements. The instructor narrates every decision. The session concludes with a working prompt template for the participant whose problem was addressed.

Live Build #2 — Draft or Analyze Workflow (20 min): The same format is applied to a different archetype and a different participant’s problem.

Reflection & Sharing (10 min): Participants take a moment to note one prompting move that surprised them, one thing they would do differently, and one pattern they are taking away. A quick group share follows, with 3-4 voices participating, and the instructor connects these observations to the broader Prompt Playbook.

Phase 5 — Connecting Claude to Your Tools with MCP — 50 minutes

• Understanding MCP (Model Context Protocol): The universal interface for AI tools
• The significance of MCP: Evolving Claude from a chat assistant into a connected workflow hub
• The Connectors Directory: Browsing and adding integrations directly within the Claude app
• Desktop Extensions: One-click installations for Claude Desktop (requiring no configuration files)

Live Demonstration: The instructor connects Claude to two services through the Connectors UI and demonstrates cross-tool workflows:

1. “Check my Google Calendar for tomorrow’s meetings and draft a preparation email for each one”
2. “Read the latest updates from our project board and write a status summary”
3. “Pull data from this connected service and build a local report from it”

Guided Exercise: Participants connect Claude to at least one service. Options are provided to accommodate different comfort levels:

• Option A: Connect a pre-built connector from the directory (e.g., Gmail, Google Drive, or a demo service) — click, authenticate, and proceed
• Option B: Add a custom connector by pasting an MCP server URL (provided by the instructor as a test URL)
• Option C: Install a Desktop Extension from the marketplace (for Claude Desktop users)

Participants then assign a task to Claude that utilizes the connected service — for example, “Read my recent emails about project updates and create a summary document.”

Key concepts covered:

• How connectors work: OAuth authentication, permissions, and the access being granted
• Managing tool access: Enabling, disabling, and controlling which connectors Claude can use per conversation
• Security awareness: Connecting only to trusted services and reviewing tool permissions
• The MCP ecosystem: Locating new connectors, extensions, and community-built servers

Objective: Participants will view Claude as a connective layer between the services they already use, rather than just a coding tool.

Break — 10 minutes

Phase 6 — Capstone & Next Steps — 65 minutes

Capstone Mini-Project (45 min): Each participant selects one scenario and builds it with Claude:

1. A polished landing page or portfolio site for their team, project, or personal brand
2. A data analysis pipeline: Uploading a file, having Claude analyze it, and producing a visual report
3. An interactive tool that solves a real problem in their workflow (e.g., a calculator, tracker, converter, or quiz)
4. A connected workflow: Pulling data from a connected service, transforming it, and producing a deliverable (e.g., “read my calendar for next week and build a visual schedule”)

The instructor circulates the room, helps refine prompts, and highlights standout examples to the group.

Showcase and Wrap-up (20 min):

• 6-8 participants share what they built (2-3 minutes each)
• Future pathways: Claude Code CLI for terminal users, the VS Code extension for developers, and Cowork for knowledge workers
• The MCP ecosystem: Finding and evaluating new connectors, extensions, and community servers
• Plans: Free vs. Pro vs. Max — detailing what each unlocks and which suits specific use cases
• Best practices recap: Highlighting the most effective Prompt Playbook patterns from the session
• Recommended resources: Official documentation, community channels, and Anthropic’s prompt engineering guide
• Participants receive a reference card containing key prompting patterns, connector setup steps, and a curated list of useful MCP integrations