The afternoon build works because the scope is fixed before the first prompt.
Hour one: write the page in plain text. Headline, three sections, one proof block, one call to action. No design yet.
Hour two: choose a Motif section whose structure matches your outline. Copy the prompt, replace the copy, keep the constraints.
Hour three: build the page shell — navigation, footer, spacing scale, and a single accent. Add the section you generated.
Hour four: polish. Fix line breaks, check contrast, compress images, and test at 390px. Add metadata and an OG image.
Do not add a second animation style, a second accent, or a second font. The page already has a point of view; more will dilute it.
Publish before it feels finished. The first real visitor teaches you more than another hour of tweaking.
Put it to work
Next lesson
Prompt like a design director
The five decisions that make an AI output look art-directed instead of generated.