Explorer

You described what you wanted, an AI built it, and it works. Now what? This guide explains what you actually made, plus five habits that will keep you and Notre Dame's data out of trouble as you keep building.

Not quite you? Try the Tinkerer guide if you've done some scripting, or the Developer guide if you just want the rules.

What you actually made

Code

The instructions behind your app. You don't need to read every line — but you do need to know it exists, because you're responsible for what it does. Ask the AI to explain any part of it in plain English; that's a legitimate and encouraged move.

A repository

A “repo” is the saved, versioned home for your code — think of it as a shared drive with a built-in undo history. Keeping your project in GitHub means you can never truly lose work, and others can help you.

Hosting

Where your app runs so other people can use it. Running on your laptop (“localhost”) is fine for experimenting; the moment real people rely on it, where it lives — and who keeps it running — starts to matter.

Five habits to build now

  1. Use your Notre Dame accounts

    Do your ND work in ND-provisioned AI tools, never a personal Claude, ChatGPT, or Copilot account. Personal accounts put university data outside our agreements — even a “quick question” that includes your real code crosses the line.

  2. Keep secrets out of chats

    Passwords, API keys, tokens, and real people's data never go into a prompt. If an AI needs a password to work, that's a sign to slow down and ask us how to do it safely.

  3. Know your data's color

    ND classifies data as Public, Internal, Sensitive, or Restricted. Restricted data — SSNs, credit cards, health data — never goes into any AI tool. Unsure what you're holding? Don't share it. Check the data sensitivity levels.

  4. Save your work in GitHub

    Put your project in a repository early. You can do everything from the GitHub website — no command line required — and when something breaks, you can always get back to the version that worked.

  5. Ask for help early

    Stuck, unsure, or wondering “is this okay?” That's exactly what office hours and the Developer Interest Group are for. Experienced developers ask early and often.

Never enter Restricted data into AI: Social Security numbers, credit card numbers, or health data. No exceptions, no approved tool, no workaround.

When your project grows up

The app you built for yourself is yours to explore with. Once classmates, colleagues, or customers start relying on it, or it needs Notre Dame logins, university data, or official hosting, there's more support available and a few more expectations to meet. Read about ownership and responsibilities before that day comes.

Where to go next

Foundations

The concepts above, unpacked at a friendly pace — plus how to pick your tools.

A workflow that works

Describe, plan, build in slices, review — the simple rhythm behind every good AI-assisted project.

Get Help

Office hours, the Developer Interest Group, and hands-on labs for beginners.