Getting started with Codex

NEW MEDIA INSTITUTE / BEGINNER WORKBOOK

You have an idea. Maybe you even have a folder full of files. Now what? In this workbook, you’ll use Codex to turn a small idea into something you can open, try, and improve. No coding experience required to get started.

Along the way, you’ll practice the part that still belongs to you: deciding what to make, giving useful direction, checking the result, and understanding enough to explain it.

EXAMPLE PROJECT · A WEBSITE YOU’LL BUILD

  nmi-codex-lab / index.html

MY WEEK, UNSTUCK.

What can you finish
in 30 minutes?

START HERE

Sketch three homepage ideas

Due tomorrow · 25 minutes

YOUR TASKS

○   Review lecture notes · 20 min
○   Draft project proposal · 45 min
✓   Choose a project topic
A sample layout, not a live app. This is the kind of website you’ll make with Codex. It opens in your browser; Codex is where you ask for changes. Your version can look different.

Here’s the plan.

About 100 minutes, including practice. Allow up to two hours if setup or troubleshooting takes a little longer. You can stop at the end of any lesson and return later.

  1. Meet Codex · 10 min
    Get a feel for what it can do and what you still need to do.
  2. Get set up · 15 min
    Open the desktop app and give your project a home.
  3. Give it a brief · 10 min
    Turn a vague idea into something Codex can act on.
  4. Build something · 25 min
    Make a first version of your planner and try it out.
  5. Make it better · 25 min
    Test the result, fix a problem, and add your own touch.
  6. Make it yours · 15 min
    Explain your choices and take the next step.

What you’ll need

  • A Mac or Windows computer, an internet connection, and a browser.
  • The desktop app with access to Codex. We’ll walk through setup.
  • A ChatGPT account with the access your instructor requests. ChatGPT Plus may be encouraged or required in your course; check before buying anything.
  • A small idea and a willingness to try things, including the things that don’t work the first time.

HERE FOR A CLASS?

Start when your instructor assigns this module. Your course’s AI policy still applies, and your instructor decides what you submit. Taking this lesson doesn’t give you permission to use AI on every assignment.

What counts as finishing?

You can write a useful request, open the files Codex creates, test whether the result works, ask for a specific improvement, and explain one part of what you built. A pretty screenshot is a start. A working project you understand is better.

Ready? Let’s meet Codex →

For instructors · Help + resources

This first module focuses on Codex. The site leaves room for other tools, including Claude, as future lessons are developed.