Guide · Tools hub

Open the right tool

Wrong tab = lost afternoon. Use this page when you’re unsure where to work.

External stack

AI tools you’ll live in

Day 1 (+ later)

Gemini / Gems

Creative prompting, verification dialogues, quick stress-tests. Good for exploring behaviour before you lock system instructions.

Use for · sandboxing & research chat
Don’t use for · final system-instruction engineering (prefer AI Studio)

Day 2 · Day 5

Gemini Notebook

Also called NotebookLM. Ingest Theme Data Packs, map gaps, synthesise research for your charter and dataset section.

Use for · Phase 1 ingest & epistemic commons study
Don’t use for · writing the live companion’s system prompt

Days 2–4

AI Studio

Where your Socratic companion is engineered — system instructions, scaffolding rules, boundary tests.

Use for · Phase 2 prototype + Phase 3 audits
Don’t use for · dumping answers for your own homework

This guide

Pages that raise your odds

Use these when you’re stuck mid-hackathon — they don’t replace Gemini, they make your time there count.

Days 3–4

Audit probe pack

Copy-paste stress tests with pass / fail looks — evidence for your Project Card safety logs.

Day 3

System-instruction starters

Skeleton prompts for identity, scaffolding, refuse-full-answers, and deferring choices. Adapt — don’t submit unchanged.

All week

Project Card field guide

What must be in each section, what’s good enough for pitch, and common misses.

Day 2

Pier 7 Lost & Found

Festival pier desk: helpful and fair without deciding people’s lives or leaking numbers.

Day 3

The Kiln

After-school climbing wall: stay software, not a kiln ghost with feelings.

Day 3

Vault 9 Hint Line

Escape-room hotline: progressive hints, never the full spoiler pack.

Day 4

Meridian Merch Booth

Open-evening merch stall: stock facts only, no destiny readings or FOMO guilt.

Day 1

Ledger Quay

Sixth-form research desk: cite honestly, invite a check, never invent sources.

Day 2

Rivermark Transit Desk

College open day ferry: balance students, ops, and privacy without vibe winners.

Day 3

Quay Ballot

Open day ferry desk: show tradeoffs, never book the sailing for travellers.

Day 4

Crossbench Desk

School council booth: balanced options, no guilt nudges, leave the choice with them.

Day 3

Socratic vs answer-bot lab

See the win condition side by side before you write instructions.

Anytime

Mini dictionary

Plain meanings for programme words you’ll need in audits and the pitch.

Day 5

Pitch run-of-show

Three-minute outline + optional timer. Converts the week into what the panel can follow.

Day 5

Submit & judging

Rough judging compass, bonus tips, audit log Sheet, and the submit form.

Day 5

Coordination Game

Smart energy grid simulator — collective action when selfish bots black out the street.

Audits

Frameworks

Research tables + quick cheat cards for sociotechnical safety, value alignment, and trust cues.