Claude Code for Non-Developers Training Course

Phase 1 — Introduction to Claude Code — 55 minutes

• Overview of Claude and the distinctions between Claude Code and standard chat interfaces
• The Claude product family: claude.ai, Claude Desktop, Claude Code (CLI), and their interrelationships
• Interface tour: navigating the Claude app, initiating a coding session, and understanding the workspace
• Claude Code’s operational logic: the describe → plan → act → review cycle
• Understanding permissions: why Claude seeks confirmation before creating files or executing code
• Initial build: instructing Claude to create a simple styled webpage from a single-sentence description
• Iterating on results: issuing commands such as “make the header larger,” “change the color scheme,” or “add a navigation bar”
• Guided exercise: Participants will open the Claude app, start a Claude Code session, and construct a personalized “About Me” webpage by describing their requirements in plain English. They will practice refining results through follow-up instructions.

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

Break — 10 minutes

Phase 2 — Constructing Practical Applications with Plain English — 70 minutes

This segment forms the core of the morning session. Participants will complete four progressively complex tasks using only natural language prompts.

• Task 1 — Interactive dashboard: Request Claude Code to build a styled dashboard displaying sample data with charts, statistics, and a clean layout. Practice providing design directions 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 ask it to summarize the data, identify trends, find highest and lowest values, and generate a visual chart. This demonstrates how Claude writes and executes code on your behalf.
• Task 3 — Document generator: Instruct 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: Ask Claude to 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 will highlight Claude’s background actions, including files created, code written, and how to interpret the output. Participants will document their most effective prompts in a shared Prompt Playbook.

Break — 10 minutes

Phase 3 — Optimizing Efficiency with Claude Code — 50 minutes

• The art of effective prompting: specific versus vague instructions
• Live demonstration: Side-by-side comparison of weak and strong prompts applied to the same task
• Iteration and refinement: Asking Claude to explain choices, undo changes, or try alternative approaches
• Working with uploaded files: Commands such as “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
• Distinguishing when to use Claude Code versus regular Claude chat
• Guided exercise: Participants will take one of their Phase 2 projects and extend it with two new features using a multi-step prompt chain. They will then compare their before-and-after prompts to identify the factors driving improvement.

Objective: Progress from basic functionality to consistently achieving high-quality results.

Break — 10 minutes

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

This phase increases engagement by shifting from solo practice to group collaboration. The instructor leads the process, but participants direct the focus by identifying real problems from their own roles, suggesting prompt ideas, and debating trade-offs. The goal is to learn prompt judgment by observing a skilled individual navigate uncertainty in real time.

Three workflow archetypes structure the session:

• Transform — Convert input X into output Y (e.g., meeting notes to action items, raw data to summary email, customer feedback to themed report)
• Draft — Generate a first version of content typically written from scratch (e.g., proposals, emails, job descriptions, social media posts)
• Analyze — Interrogate documents or datasets that lack time for careful reading (e.g., a 40-page report, survey response spreadsheet, or contract)

Setup and framing (10 min): The instructor introduces the three archetypes and explains the session mechanics. Participants submit real workflow challenges 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 group contributing prompt ideas, pushbacks, and refinements. The instructor narrates every decision. The session concludes with a working prompt template that the participant whose problem was used can retain.

Live build #2 — Draft or Analyze workflow (20 min): Follows the same format but utilizes a different archetype and a different participant’s problem.

Reflection & share-back (10 min): Participants briefly note one prompting technique that surprised them, one action they would alter, and one pattern they are adopting. A quick group share follows (3-4 participants), and the instructor connects observations to the broader Prompt Playbook.

Phase 5 — Integrating Claude with Your Tools via MCP — 50 minutes

• Overview of MCP (Model Context Protocol): The universal integration system for AI tools
• The importance 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 (no configuration files required)

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 prep 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 will 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) — simply click, authenticate, and proceed
• Option B: Add a custom connector by pasting an MCP server URL (instructor provides a test URL)
• Option C: Install a Desktop Extension from the marketplace (for Claude Desktop users)

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

Key concepts covered:

• How connectors operate: OAuth authentication, permissions, and the scope of access 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: Where to find new connectors, extensions, and community-built servers

Objective: Participants will view Claude as a connective layer between their existing services, rather than solely a coding tool.

Break — 10 minutes

Phase 6 — Capstone Project & Next Steps — 65 minutes

Capstone mini-project (45 min): Each participant selects one scenario and builds it using Claude:

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

The instructor will circulate to assist with prompt refinement and showcase standout examples to the group.

Showcase and wrap-up (20 min):

• 6-8 participants share their builds (2-3 minutes each)
• Pathways forward: Claude Code CLI for terminal users, 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 — understanding what each tier unlocks and its ideal use cases
• Best practices recap: Reviewing 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 detailing key prompting patterns, connector setup steps, and a curated list of useful MCP integrations