Claude Code for Non-Developers Training Course

Phase 1 — Introduction to Claude Code — 55 minutes

• Overview of Claude and the unique features that distinguish Claude Code from regular chat applications.
• Exploration of the Claude product family: claude.ai, Claude Desktop, and Claude Code (CLI), including how they interconnect and support various user needs.
• Interface tour: navigating the Claude app, initiating a coding session, and understanding the workspace layout.
• Understanding the Claude Code thought process: the describe → plan → act → review cycle.
• Permissions management: the rationale behind Claude requesting permission before creating files or executing code.
• Practical demonstration: guiding Claude to create a simple, styled webpage from a one-sentence description.
• Iterative refinement: making adjustments such as "make the header bigger," "change the color scheme," and "add a navigation bar."
• Guided exercise: Participants open the Claude app, start a Claude Code session, and build a personalized “About Me” webpage using plain English descriptions. They practice refining their results through follow-up instructions.

Goal: Ensure participants are comfortable with the interface and have overcome initial interaction hurdles.

Phase 2 — Building Real Applications with Plain English — 70 minutes

This phase is the core of the morning session, where participants complete four progressively complex tasks using natural language prompts.

• Task 1 — Interactive Dashboard: Instruct Claude Code to build a styled dashboard that displays sample data with charts, statistics, and a clean layout. Practice giving design direction: "use a dark theme," "add a sidebar," "make it responsive."
• Task 2 — Data Analysis: Provide Claude with a sample CSV file and request it to summarize the data, identify trends, find the highest and lowest values, and generate a visual chart. This demonstrates how Claude can write and execute code on behalf of the user.
• Task 3 — Document Generator: Ask Claude to read a data file and produce a formatted report such as a sales summary, project status update, or meeting recap. Showcases how Claude transforms raw data into polished deliverables.
• Task 4 — Automation Tool: Request Claude to build a simple utility like a unit converter, quiz app, or budget calculator. Introduces the concept that Claude can create interactive tools beyond static pages.

After each task, the instructor highlights what Claude did behind the scenes: files created, code written, and how to interpret the output. Participants document their most effective prompts in a shared Prompt Playbook.

Phase 3 — Enhancing Workflow Efficiency with Claude Code — 50 minutes

• The art of effective prompting: the importance of specific versus vague instructions.
• Live demonstration: a side-by-side comparison of weak and strong prompts on the same task.
• Iteration and refinement: requesting Claude to explain its choices, undo changes, or try alternative approaches.
• Working with uploaded files: tasks 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: an overview of tokens, context windows, and subscription tiers.
• When to use Claude Code versus regular Claude chat for various tasks.
• Guided exercise: Participants take one of their Phase 2 projects and extend it with two new features using a multi-step prompt chain. They then compare their before-and-after prompts to identify the most effective changes.

Goal: Elevate participants from achieving basic functionality to consistently obtaining high-quality results.

Phase 4 — Collaborative Workflows with Claude Code — 60 minutes

This phase shifts the dynamic from individual practice to group collaboration. The instructor leads, but participants drive the process by naming real problems from their work, suggesting prompt ideas, and debating trade-offs. The goal is to learn effective prompting techniques through observation of a skilled user navigating uncertainty in real time.

Three workflow archetypes structure the session:

• Transform: Take input X and produce output Y (e.g., meeting notes → action items; raw data → summary email; customer feedback → themed report).
• Draft: Generate a first version of something typically written from scratch (e.g., proposals, emails, job descriptions, social posts).
• Analyze: Examine a document or dataset that does not warrant thorough manual review (e.g., a 40-page report, a spreadsheet of survey responses, a contract).

Setup and Framing (10 min): The instructor introduces the three archetypes and explains how the session will proceed. 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, builds it live with input from the room on prompt ideas, feedback, and refinements. The instructor narrates each decision. The session concludes with a working prompt template that the participant who submitted the problem can keep.

Live Build #2 — Draft or Analyze Workflow (20 min): Same format, but with a different archetype and a different participant’s problem.

Reflection & Share-Back (10 min): Participants take a moment to write down one surprising prompting technique, one thing they would do differently, and one pattern they are taking away. A quick group share follows, with 3-4 participants contributing. The instructor ties these observations back to the broader Prompt Playbook.

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

• What is MCP (Model Context Protocol)? An overview of this universal plug system for AI tools.
• Why MCP matters: Transforming Claude from a chat assistant into a connected workflow hub.
• The Connectors Directory: Browsing and adding integrations directly from the Claude app.
• Desktop Extensions: One-click installations for Claude Desktop (no configuration files required).

Live Demo: 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 connect Claude to at least one service, with options provided for 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 go.
• 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 (Claude Desktop users).

Participants then give Claude a task that uses the connected service, such as "Read my recent emails about project updates and create a summary document."

Key concepts covered:

• How connectors work: OAuth authentication, permissions, and what access is 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.

Goal: Participants see Claude as a connective layer between all the services they already use, not just a coding tool.

Phase 6 — Capstone and Next Steps — 65 minutes

Capstone Mini-Project (45 min): Each participant chooses 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: upload a file, have Claude analyze it, and produce a visual report.
3. An interactive tool that addresses a real problem from 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 circulates to assist with refining prompts and showcases standout examples to the group.

Showcase and Wrap-Up (20 min):

• 6-8 participants share what they built (2-3 minutes each).
• Next steps: Overview of 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 — what each unlocks and which fits various use cases.
• Best practices recap: Highlighting the most effective prompt patterns from the session.
• Recommended resources: Official documentation, community channels, and Anthropic’s prompt engineering guide.
• Participants receive a reference card with key prompting patterns, connector setup steps, and a curated list of useful MCP integrations.