4.7 – Introduction to ChatGPT and Getting Started Lesson

Lesson Overview

This lesson introduces you to using DALL·E 3 within ChatGPT, bringing powerful image generation tools to your fingertips. It starts with the essentials: creating an account on OpenAI’s website, logging in, and knowing how to upgrade to ChatGPT Plus, which is required for access to DALL·E 3’s advanced image-creation capabilities. You’ll see how easy it is to use ChatGPT’s basic layout—whether you’re chatting, building prompts, or reviewing past projects.

The lesson also touches on setting up your workspace with organized chat history, letting you revisit or rename previous sessions easily. Having all your past conversations saved means you can pick up projects right where you left off, whether you’re experimenting with different image styles or running multiple creative themes.

For anyone interested in creating AI-generated images—from social media graphics to visuals for classroom use—these setup steps are your foundation. Once you’re familiar with the essentials, you can move on to more advanced customization with prompts and output options. If you want to learn more about what ChatGPT can do, Skill Leap’s courses offer further guidance.

Who This Is For

This lesson is designed for anyone new to using ChatGPT for AI image creation or those interested in organizing their creative projects with powerful chat-based tools.

• Educators who want to produce unique visuals for teaching materials
• Marketers looking to create images for campaigns or content
• Designers and content creators starting with AI-assisted workflows
• Business professionals exploring generative AI for presentations
• Beginners or hobbyists experimenting with image generation
• Anyone upgrading from free image tools to explore ChatGPT Plus features

Where This Fits in a Workflow

You’ll use what you learn here as the foundation for any AI image generation process within ChatGPT. Setting up your ChatGPT account and understanding key workspace features is the first step before crafting image prompts or managing creative projects. For example, campaign managers might create organized chat threads for different branding themes, while educators could prepare separate chats for lesson visuals.

Once your account is set up and you’re familiar with the interface, you’ll be ready to structure prompts, experiment with style options, or use chat history for ongoing projects. This setup ensures all future image creation work can proceed smoothly, and you can easily revisit or build on previous sessions.

Technical & Workflow Benefits

Doing your initial setup within ChatGPT and upgrading to Plus for DALL·E 3 avoids common bottlenecks of switching between platforms or losing project threads. Previously, users might have created images through outside tools, missed key updates, or lost track of work. With ChatGPT, everything from prompt experimentation to image storage is organized in one place.

Having chat history always available improves project consistency, since you can revisit exact instructions you used before. Subscription management and prompt entry are streamlined within the same interface, cutting down on time spent navigating multiple sites or remembering your workflow. Whether you’re producing visuals for a business or learning personally, these features support faster, clearer, and better-organized creative output.

Practice Exercise

1. Sign up for a free OpenAI account at openai.com and access ChatGPT.
2. If possible, upgrade to ChatGPT Plus for access to DALL·E 3 features.
3. Start a new chat and use the message bar to send a simple greeting or test prompt.
4. Rename the chat to reflect a project you’re interested in (“Logo Ideas” or “Classroom Posters”).

Reflect: How does having chat history and naming help organize your creative work, compared to using a stand-alone image generator? Try finding your renamed thread in the chat history to see how easy it is to pick up later.

Course Context Recap

This lesson sets the stage for image creation with DALL·E 3 inside ChatGPT. If you’ve just learned how to set up your account and understand the basics of the interface, you’re ready for the next step: structuring prompts and generating tailored images. Coming from the previous overview, you now have the account and access you’ll need. Continue with the course to apply prompt strategies and explore more advanced features as you progress through your generative AI learning journey.