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: exploring the Claude app, initiating a coding session, and understanding the workspace
• The cognitive process of Claude Code: the describe → plan → act → review cycle
• Permissions management: understanding why Claude seeks approval before creating files or executing code
• First build: requesting Claude to generate a simple styled webpage from a single-sentence description
• Refining results: implementing changes such as enlarging headers, altering color schemes, or adding navigation bars
• Guided exercise: Participants launch the Claude app, start a Claude Code session, and create a personalized “About Me” webpage by describing their requirements in plain English. They then practice adjusting the outcome through follow-up instructions.

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

Break — 10 minutes

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

This section forms the core of the morning session. Participants 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 directives such as using a dark theme, adding a sidebar, or ensuring responsiveness.
• 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 Claude’s ability to write and execute code on the user’s 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 highlights how Claude transforms raw data into polished deliverables.
• Task 4 — Automation utility: Request Claude to build a simple tool, such as a unit converter, quiz app, or budget calculator. This introduces the concept that Claude can create interactive applications, not just static pages.

Following each task, the instructor explains the backend processes: 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 — Optimizing Work with Claude Code — 50 minutes

• The craft of effective prompting: 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 choices, revert changes, or attempt alternative approaches
• Working with uploaded files: Tasks such as reading and summarizing documents or converting spreadsheets into charts
• Multi-step workflows: Chaining requests to generate complex outputs (e.g., analyzing data first, then building a dashboard from the results)
• Cost and usage mechanics: Understanding tokens, context windows, and subscription tiers
• Determining when to use Claude Code versus standard Claude chat
• Guided exercise: Participants select a Phase 2 project and extend it with two new features using a multi-step prompt chain. They then compare their initial and refined prompts to identify key differentiators.

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

Break — 10 minutes

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

This phase shifts the dynamic from individual practice to group collaboration. The instructor leads the process, but participants direct the content by naming real problems from their jobs, suggesting prompt ideas, and debating trade-offs. The aim is to develop prompt judgment by observing how an experienced user navigates uncertainty in real time.

The session is structured around three workflow archetypes:

• Transform — Converting input X into output Y (e.g., meeting notes to action items, raw data to summary emails, customer feedback to thematic reports)
• Draft — Generating initial versions of content typically written from scratch (e.g., proposals, emails, job descriptions, social media posts)
• Analyze — Interrogating documents or datasets that lack time for detailed review (e.g., long reports, survey spreadsheets, contracts)

Setup and Framing (10 min): The instructor introduces the three archetypes and outlines the session format. Participants submit real workflow challenges from their roles via a shared document or chat.

Live Build #1 — Transform Workflow (20 min): The instructor selects one submitted problem and builds it live while the room suggests prompt ideas, offers pushback, and refines the process. The instructor narrates each decision. The session concludes with a working prompt template retained by the participant who submitted the problem.

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

Reflection & Share-back (10 min): Participants take a moment to note one surprising prompting technique, one alternative approach they would take, and one key pattern to apply. A quick group share follows, featuring 3-4 participants, with the instructor connecting these insights to the broader Prompt Playbook.

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

• Introduction to 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 that require no configuration files

Live Demonstration: The instructor connects Claude to two services using 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”

Guided Exercise: Participants connect Claude to at least one service. Options are provided to suit 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 (a test URL will be provided by the instructor)
• Option C: Install a Desktop Extension from the marketplace (for Claude Desktop users)

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

Key concepts covered:

• Connector mechanics: OAuth authentication, permissions, and the nature 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: Locating new connectors, extensions, and community-built servers

Objective: Participants view Claude as a connective layer between existing services, rather than merely 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 using Claude:

1. A polished landing page or portfolio site for a 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 workflow problem (e.g., calculator, tracker, converter, 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 to assist with prompt refinement and highlights standout examples for the group.

Showcase and Wrap-up (20 min):

• 6-8 participants share their creations (2-3 minutes each)
• Next steps: 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
• Subscription plans: Free vs. Pro vs. Max — features unlocked and suitable 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