Explore Claude.ai, Code, and Cowork

Use three Claude tools to explore, build, and organize cloud salary data.

Introduction

⚡️ 30 Second Summary

You've probably heard of Claude, but did you know it comes in three different forms, each designed for a different kind of work?

In this project, you will explore Claude.ai, Claude Code, and Cowork by completing a different task with each one, using cloud job salary data to see firsthand when to reach for which tool.

What You'll Build

You'll use all three Claude tools to analyze, visualize, and organize cloud role salary data, building a different output with each tool to experience their unique strengths.

The same dataset flows into Claude.ai for conversational analysis, Claude Code for a local dashboard build, and Cowork for project organization.

By the end of this project, you'll have:

📊 Interactive charts exploring cloud role salary data, built with Claude.ai Artifacts.
💻 A local HTML dashboard with Chart.js visualizations, built entirely by Claude Code in your terminal.
📁 An organized project folder with a summary document, created using Cowork.
💎 Secret Mission: Build a personal "when to use which Claude tool" cheat sheet based on your hands-on experience.

Want a complete demo of how to do this project, from start to finish? Check out our 🎬 walkthrough with Maya

Do I need to pay to do this project?

Yes. All three Claude tools require a Claude Pro subscription ($20/mo) at minimum. Claude Pro gives you access to Claude.ai, Claude Code, and Cowork (via the Claude Desktop app). This project includes instructions on setting up your subscription.

Not sure if this project is right for you? Check if it matches your goals

If you're up for a bit of a challenge, quiz yourself on the key concepts up ahead in this project.

Sign In and Download the Dataset

To explore the different ways Claude.ai, Claude Code, and Cowork can help you work with data, you first need two things: a Claude account with a Pro subscription, and a dataset to analyze.

In this step, you will get both of those ready so you can dive straight into building charts and dashboards in the next step.

In this step, get ready to:

Sign in to Claude.ai with a Pro or Max subscription.
Download the cloud salary dataset.

Do you already have a Claude account?

✔️ I have a Pro or Max subscription

Click Log in and enter your email and password.

You're all set. Move on to the next section below.

ⓧ I have an account but I'm on the free plan

The free plan does not include access to Claude Code or Cowork. You need to upgrade to Claude Pro ($20/mo) at minimum.

Click Log in and enter your email and password.

Click on your profile icon in the bottom-left corner.
Select Settings.
Click Upgrade or navigate to claude.com/pricing.
Select the Pro plan and complete the payment.

Help me choose a plan.

ⓧ I don't have an account yet

Go to claude.ai and click Sign up.

Enter your email address and create a password.
Verify your email.

Once logged in, click Upgrade in the center of the page.

Select the Pro plan ($20/mo) and complete the payment.

You need Claude Pro at minimum because the free plan does not include access to Claude Code or Cowork.

Help me choose a plan.

Why do I need a Pro or Max plan?

The free plan gives you limited access to Claude.ai chat only. Claude Pro ($20/mo) unlocks the full suite of tools you will use in this project: Claude.ai for interactive conversations, Claude Code for terminal-based development, and Cowork for desktop project management.

Create Your Project Folder

Before downloading the dataset, create a folder to keep all your project files organized.

Press Cmd+Space and search for terminal.
Open a new terminal window.
Navigate to your Desktop and create a new folder:

cd ~/Desktop
mkdir "Claude Compare"

Run the following command to list the folders on your Desktop:

ls

Do you see the new folder Claude Compare in the list?

Great, you now have an empty folder at ~/Desktop/Claude Compare/ ready for your project files.

Download the Cloud Salary Dataset

Download the dataset file from this link: cloud_salaries.csv
Save the file inside the ~/Desktop/Claude Compare/ folder you just created.

What is in this dataset?

The CSV contains around 300 rows of realistic cloud job market data. Each row includes a Job Title, City, Salary, Experience Level, Cloud Platform, and Company Size. You will use this data throughout the project to create charts and build a dashboard.

Open the CSV file in any text editor or spreadsheet app to preview its structure.

Opens in Numbers on Mac?

If the CSV opens in Apple Numbers instead of a text editor, that is perfectly fine. Numbers displays the same data in a spreadsheet grid. You can also right-click the file and choose Open With > TextEdit if you prefer the raw view.

You should see columns for Job Title, City, Salary, Experience Level, Cloud Platform, and Company Size.

Your account is active and your dataset is ready. Next up, you will upload this data to Claude.ai and start exploring salary trends with interactive charts.

Explore Data with Claude.ai

You have your cloud salary CSV downloaded and you are signed in to Claude.ai. But what can you actually do with this data? The goal of this project is to explore, build, and organize using three different Claude tools. The first tool you will use is Claude.ai itself.

In this step, get ready to:

Upload and explore cloud salary data conversationally.
Generate interactive charts with Artifacts.

Upload and Explore the Data

Let's start a new conversation on claude.ai.

What is Claude.ai?

Claude.ai is a chat interface that runs in your browser. You upload files, ask questions, and get interactive visual outputs called Artifacts. Nothing touches your computer directly. You steer every step, and Claude responds to your questions one at a time.

Click on the plus sign on the bottom left corner of the text box.
Next, click the attachment button (paperclip icon) and upload the cloud salary CSV you downloaded in Step 1.

Type a question in the chat. Start with something like:

What are the highest paying cloud roles in this dataset?

Ask a follow-up question:

Which cities offer higher salaries?

Try one more:

How do salaries compare across AWS, Azure, and GCP roles?

Notice how Claude.ai responds conversationally with formatted text, tables, and explanations. You control every step. Claude responds to each question individually.

Why is this useful?

Instead of writing code or building formulas, you can explore your data by simply asking questions in plain English. This makes Claude.ai perfect for quick analysis and getting familiar with a new dataset.

Generate Interactive Charts with Artifacts

Now let's go beyond text responses and generate interactive charts.

Ask Claude:

Create an interactive bar chart as an Artifact comparing average salaries across the top 10 cloud roles

Look at the Artifact panel that appears on the right side of the screen. This is an interactive, live-rendered chart that you can hover over and explore, unlike the inline text responses from earlier.

Hover over the bars in the chart to see tooltips with exact salary values.
Try generating another chart. Type:

Now create an Artifact with a chart showing salary ranges by city, colored by experience level

What are Artifacts?

Artifacts are interactive visual outputs that Claude.ai renders live in your browser. They can be charts, code snippets, documents, or even small applications. You can interact with them, download them, or iterate on them with follow-up prompts.

Your data exploration is done. You have seen how Claude.ai lets you have a conversation with your data and produce interactive charts without writing a single line of code. Next up, you will take this same dataset and build something permanent with Claude Code.

Build a Dashboard with Claude Code

You've explored your salary data conversationally and generated some great charts inside Claude.ai. But those charts live in a chat window. What if you want a real dashboard you can open anytime, deploy to share with others, or customize further?

That's where Claude Code comes in. It's a terminal-based coding agent that reads and writes files on your computer. You type natural language, it writes code. In this step, you'll install Claude Code, then use it to build an interactive HTML dashboard from the same salary data.

In this step, get ready to:

Install Claude Code and authenticate.
Explore the salary data directly from your terminal.
Build an interactive dashboard with Chart.js charts.

Claude Code is best for building things. Unlike Claude.ai where you upload files to a chat window, Claude Code works directly with files on your machine. It can read your data, write code, run scripts, and create files autonomously.

When should I use Claude Code instead of Claude.ai?

Use Claude.ai (the browser chat) when you want to explore data, ask questions, and generate quick visuals without touching your file system. Use Claude Code (the terminal tool) when you want to build something that lives on your computer, like a dashboard, a script, or a full application. Claude Code reads and writes real files, so the output is permanent.

✅ I already have Claude Code

Open a terminal window and navigate to your dataset folder:

cd ~/Desktop/"Claude Compare"

Start Claude Code:

claude

Confirm you see the Claude Code interactive prompt ready for input.

🆕 I need to install Claude Code

Install Claude Code

Claude Code is installed as a native binary, so it's a single command!

🍎 macOS / Linux

Open your terminal.
Copy & paste the following command:

curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash

Press Enter.

🖼️ Windows

Claude Code on Windows requires Git Bash, which comes with Git for Windows. Let's check if you have it, then install Claude Code.

Open PowerShell and run:

git --version

If you see something like git version 2.x.x, you're good to go.

Already have Git?

If git --version printed a version, skip to the next step.

Install Git

Go to git-scm.com/downloads/win in your browser.
Click the download link for your system (64-bit for most machines).

Run the downloaded installer.
If you see a security warning, click Run.

Walk Through the Setup Wizard

The default settings are fine for most screens. Here's what you'll see:

Accept the license agreement and click Next.

Leave the destination as C:\Program Files\Git and click Next.

Leave the default components selected and click Next.

Leave the Start Menu folder as Git and click Next.

Leave the default editor setting and click Next.

Leave "Let Git decide" selected for the initial branch name and click Next.

On the "Adjusting your PATH environment" screen, make sure "Git from the command line and also from 3rd-party software" is selected. Click Next.

Why does the PATH setting matter?

This option lets you run git from PowerShell and other programs, not just Git Bash. Claude Code needs this to work correctly.

Leave "Use bundled OpenSSH" selected and click Next.

Leave the HTTPS transport backend setting and click Next.

Leave the terminal emulator setting and click Next.

Leave the default git pull behavior and click Next.

Leave "Git Credential Manager" selected and click Next.

Leave the extra options as-is and click Install.

Wait for the installation to finish.

Click Finish.

Verify Git Bash is installed by opening PowerShell and running:

git --version

You should see something like git version 2.x.x.

Install Claude Code

In the same PowerShell window, copy & paste the following command:

irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex

Press Enter.

What does this command do?

irm downloads the installer script and iex executes it. This installs Claude Code as a standalone program on your machine. Claude Code uses Git Bash under the hood to run commands, which is why Git for Windows is required. Read more in the official docs.

💡 Prefer WSL?

If you have Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) set up, you can install Claude Code inside WSL using the macOS/Linux command instead. WSL 2 also enables sandboxing for enhanced security.

Verify the installation by running:

claude --version

✔️ I see a version number

You should see something like claude 2.1.x. The exact version may differ. Claude Code is installed!

ⓧ Command not found

🍎 macOS / Linux

Did your installer show a Setup notes warning?

Run the following commands to fix it:

echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc

What does this command do?

The first line adds ~/.local/bin (where Claude Code lives) to your PATH permanently by writing it to your shell config file. The second line reloads the config so the change takes effect right away.

🙋‍♀️ Using bash instead of zsh?

Replace ~/.zshrc with ~/.bashrc in the commands above. Not sure which shell you're using? Run echo $SHELL to find out.

🖼️ Windows

Close your PowerShell window and open a new one. The installer updates your PATH, but existing terminals won't see the change until restarted.
If it still doesn't work, try running the installer again:

irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex

Verify the installation again by running:

claude --version

Still stuck?

Get help with your error or share your error with the NextWork community!

Start Claude Code in Your Project Folder

Navigate to your dataset folder:

cd ~/Desktop/"Claude Compare"

Start Claude Code:

claude

Press Enter.

Claude Code will ask you to pick a text style (like plain text or styled text). This controls how responses look in your terminal. Pick whichever you prefer.

Claude will ask you to log in.

Select Use Claude.ai account (OAuth) when prompted.

A browser window opens automatically.

Log in with the same email you used for your Claude subscription.
Click Allow to authorize Claude Code.

Your terminal will confirm the connection once you've authorized in the browser.

Every message you send costs tokens (like credits). Don't worry, you'll check your usage later with /cost.

✔️ I'm authenticated

Yay! Let's go!

ⓧ Authentication failed

That's okay! Let's troubleshoot:

Make sure you have an active Claude Pro or Max subscription, or have loaded credits in your Anthropic account.
Check that your ANTHROPIC_API_KEY environment variable is set correctly.
Try running claude again and complete the browser authentication flow.
Check that your browser didn't block the popup.

Still stuck?

Get help with your error or share your error with the NextWork community!

What is Claude Code?

Claude Code is a terminal-based AI coding agent by Anthropic. You run it from your command line, give it natural language instructions, and it reads, writes, and executes code directly on your computer. It's best for building tools, writing code, and creating files that live on your machine.

Explore the Data with Claude Code

Now let's see how Claude Code interacts with local files differently from Claude.ai.

In the Claude Code prompt, type this message and press Enter:

Look at the cloud salary CSV in this folder and tell me what's in it

Claude Code reads the file directly from your local filesystem. There's no uploading involved. It scans the CSV, understands the columns and rows, and gives you a summary.

Getting an error?

Make sure you are running Claude Code from inside the ~/Desktop/Claude Compare/ folder.
Run pwd in your terminal to check your current directory.
If you are in the wrong directory, close Claude Code with /exit, navigate to the correct folder with cd ~/Desktop/"Claude Compare", and start Claude Code again with claude.
Still stuck? Ask in the NextWork Community.

What's different from Claude.ai?

In Step 2, you uploaded the CSV to Claude.ai's chat window. Here, Claude Code reads the file directly from your computer's file system. This means it can work with files of any size and access multiple files at once without manual uploads.

Build an Interactive HTML Dashboard

This is where Claude Code really shines. You're going to ask it to build an entire interactive dashboard with a single prompt.

In the Claude Code prompt, type this message and press Enter:

Create an interactive HTML dashboard that visualizes this cloud salary data. Use Chart.js loaded from a CDN, no Python. Include: a bar chart of average salary by role, a city comparison chart, and a breakdown by cloud platform. Save it as dashboard.html.

Watch Claude Code work. It creates the HTML file with embedded Chart.js charts, all in one go.

If Claude Code asks for permission to create or write files, type y and press Enter to grant access.

Why is Claude Code asking for permission?

Claude Code runs on your local machine and needs your explicit approval before it creates, edits, or deletes any files. This keeps you in control of what changes are made to your computer. You will see these permission prompts each time Claude Code wants to write a new file or modify an existing one.

Open dashboard.html in your browser.

How do I open dashboard.html?

You can double-click the file in your file explorer, or run open dashboard.html (macOS) or start dashboard.html (Windows) from your terminal.

Your dashboard is a standalone HTML file with interactive charts. You can hover over data points, and it all runs locally in your browser with zero dependencies.

Your dashboard may already include some filtering or interactive features depending on what Claude Code generated. Take a look at what you have before iterating.

Now iterate on your dashboard. Try this prompt in Claude Code:

Add a filter dropdown so I can filter by experience level

Your dashboard might look different from the screenshot!

Claude Code generates code based on your specific prompt and context, so your charts, layout, and features may vary. That's completely normal. Feel free to get creative with your own iteration prompts. Try adding a dark mode toggle, a search bar, or a completely different chart type.

Why is this powerful?

Claude Code writes and executes code autonomously. The output files appear directly in your folder. You can keep iterating with natural language prompts to add features like responsive layouts, dark mode toggles, or entirely new charts.

You've got an interactive dashboard on your machine. Next up, you'll get everything organized and compare what each tool brought to the table.

Organize Your Project with Cowork

Your interactive dashboard is built and running locally. But take a look at your ~/Desktop/Claude Compare/ folder. It has the original CSV, chart images, and an HTML dashboard all mixed together. Before wrapping up, let's get everything organized.

Claude Desktop has a built-in autonomous agent called Cowork that works directly on your local files. You describe what you want, it handles the rest. In this step, you will install the Claude Desktop app, share your project folder with Cowork, and let it organize everything into a clean structure with a polished summary document.

In this step, get ready to:

Install and set up the Claude Desktop app.
Share your project folder with Cowork.
Use Cowork to organize files and generate a summary document.

Install the Claude Desktop App

So far you have used Claude.ai in the browser and Claude Code in the terminal. Now it is time to set up the Claude Desktop app so you can use Cowork.

✅ I already have Claude Desktop

Open the Claude app on your computer.
Make sure you are signed in with the same Anthropic account you used for Claude.ai.

🆕 I need to install Claude Desktop

🍎 macOS

Go to claude.ai/download.
Download the .dmg installer.

Open the downloaded .dmg file.
Drag the Claude app into your Applications folder.

Open Claude from your Applications folder.
Sign in with the same Anthropic account you used for Claude.ai.

🖼️ Windows

Go to claude.ai/download.
Download the .msix installer.

Open the downloaded installer and follow the setup wizard.
Launch Claude from the Start menu once installation finishes.
Sign in with the same Anthropic account you used for Claude.ai.

✔️ Claude Desktop is open

You are in. Now let's switch to Cowork mode.

ⓧ I see an error

That's okay! Let's troubleshoot:

Make sure you are signed in with a valid Anthropic account.
Check that your operating system meets the minimum requirements (macOS 12+ or Windows 10 x64+).
Restart the Claude Desktop app.

Still stuck?

Get help with your error or share your error with the NextWork community!

Why install a separate app when you already have Claude.ai?

Claude.ai runs in your browser and works with uploaded files. Cowork runs inside the desktop app and works directly on files on your computer. It can read folder contents, rename files, create new documents, and move things around, all without you typing terminal commands.

Switch to Cowork Mode and Share Your Folder

Look for the Cowork tab in the Claude Desktop app. It may appear in the sidebar on the left or at the top of the window, depending on your app version. Click it to switch modes.

What is Cowork best for?

Cowork excels at organizing files, automating repetitive tasks, and hands-off work. You describe a goal in plain language, and Cowork handles the steps autonomously.

Cowork can only access folders you explicitly share. This sandboxed approach keeps the rest of your computer safe.

Click the Work in a folder button at the bottom left of the Cowork window.
Select your ~/Desktop/Claude Compare/ folder.

Cowork confirms it now has access to the folder and lists the files it can see.

Why do I have to share a folder?

Cowork runs in a sandboxed environment. It cannot see or modify any files on your computer unless you grant access to a specific folder. This protects your system while still letting Cowork do useful work.

How is Cowork different from Claude Code?

Both tools can work with files on your computer, but they are designed for different workflows. Claude Code runs in your terminal and is best for writing and executing code. Cowork runs in the Claude Desktop app and is best for organizing, renaming, and managing files without touching the terminal. Think of Claude Code as your coding assistant and Cowork as your project manager.

Organize Your Files

Not many files to organize?

You might only have a CSV and an HTML file in your folder right now. That's okay! This exercise is about understanding what Cowork can do. Imagine you had dozens of files from a longer project. Cowork would save you serious time sorting through them. After this project, try pointing Cowork at a busy folder like your Downloads to see it really shine.

Paste the following task into the Cowork chat:

Organize all the files in this folder. Create subfolders: charts/ for image files, dashboard/ for the HTML dashboard, and data/ for the CSV. Rename files with clear, descriptive names. Then create a summary document (summary.md) listing every file, which Claude tool created it, and a one-line description of what it contains.

Press Enter and watch Cowork work autonomously.

Cowork will read each file, create the subfolders, move and rename files, and generate the summary document. This may take a minute or two.

Once Cowork finishes, review the organized folder structure.

Open summary.md and review the contents.

Your summary.md should list every file in the project, note which Claude tool created it (Claude.ai, Claude Code, or Cowork), and include a one-line description.

Secret mission

You have explored data with Claude.ai, built a dashboard with Claude Code, and organized files with Cowork. But which tool should you reach for next time?

In this secret mission, you will create a personal decision framework -- a cheat sheet that maps each Claude tool to the situations where it works best.

In this secret mission, get ready to:

Decide which Claude tool to use for building your cheat sheet.
Create a "when to use which" decision framework based on your hands-on experience.
Save your cheat sheet for future reference.

Build Your Claude Cheat Sheet

Clean Up Your Resources

Decide whether to keep your resources running, pause them to come back later, or delete them entirely. This project runs entirely locally, so there are no ongoing costs.

Resources you used:

Project files in ~/Desktop/Claude Compare/
Claude Code installation
Claude Desktop app

✔️ Keep everything running

No action needed. Choose this if you're still actively building or want to keep testing right away.

Your project files and tools are stored locally with no ongoing costs.

✋ Pause - I'll come back to this later

Shut down running processes to free up memory, but keep all your files and data so you can pick up where you left off.

Close Claude Code by typing /exit or pressing Ctrl+C in your terminal.
Close the Claude Desktop app.

To restart later, open Claude Desktop or run claude in your terminal to launch Claude Code again.

ⓧ Delete - I don't want to use this again

Remove all project resources and start fresh if you ever want to rebuild.

Close Claude Code by typing /exit or pressing Ctrl+C.
Close the Claude Desktop app.
Delete the project folder by running rm -rf ~/Desktop/"Claude Compare" in your terminal.
Optionally uninstall Claude Code by running npm uninstall -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code.
Optionally uninstall the Claude Desktop app.

How do I monitor my usage?

Head to claude.ai/settings to track your usage across Claude.ai, Claude Code, and Claude Desktop.

That's a Wrap

Nice work! You have explored all three Claude tools and discovered how each one shines in different situations.

You've accomplished:

💬 Explored cloud salary data conversationally with Claude.ai.
📊 Generated interactive charts using Artifacts in Claude.ai.
🛠️ Built a local HTML dashboard with Claude Code and Chart.js.
📁 Organized your project folder with Cowork in Claude Desktop.
🧭 Identified when to reach for each tool: Explore with Claude.ai, Build with Claude Code, Organize with Cowork.
💎 Created a personal "when to use which" decision framework.

Ready to quiz yourself?

p.s. Does it say "Still tasks to complete!" at the bottom of the screen?

This means you still have screenshots left to upload, or questions left to answer!

Press Ctrl+F (Windows) or Command+F (Mac) on your keyboard.
Search for the text Return to later.
Jump straight to your incomplete tasks!
🙋‍♀️ Still stuck? Ask the community!