Building HACCP AI: A Generative Research Journey

My Role

Lead UX Researcher

Platform

Website

Team

Product Manager, Developers, QA, and Food Safety Experts (Stakeholders)

Overview

The HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) AI Builder is a critical feature of the FoodReady platform, designed to assist users in creating food safety plans through AI-powered prompts. This project aimed to address user feedback to enhance flexibility, usability, and customization in the process of building HACCP plans.

Problem Statement

The HACCP AI Builder needed critical improvements. Experienced users found the AI flow too rigid, limiting manual adjustments, while new users required clearer data entry guidance. The PDF export also needed customization for better readability and inspection compliance.

Research Methods

User Interviews:
Participants : Two primary users, Cheryl and Maggie, who frequently use the platform for food safety plan generation.
Method : Semi-structured video interviews where users walked through their experience with the AI Builder & shared real-time feedback.
Usability Testing:
Observed users completing key tasks, such as starting a HACCP plan, customizing flow charts, & exporting to PDF, to identify pain points and measure usability.

Use Cases

Use Case 1

Novice Users – Require a guided workflow with predefined fields to assist with data entry.
‍

‍Use Case 2

Experienced Users – Need the flexibility to skip AI prompts, customize flow elements, and expedite repetitive tasks.

‍Use Case 3

‍Inspectors – Must review HACCP plans quickly, with clear, readable documentation.
‍

Key Findings

Analysis & Recommendations

Insights

Recommendations

Flexibility in Workflow
‍

‍

Experienced users wanted more control and efficiency.
‍
‍

Implement a manual entry option allowing users to bypass AI prompts and directly input product details. This provides flexibility for experienced users.

Pre-populated Fields
‍

‍

Novice users were uncertain about data entry.
‍
‍

Provide pre-populated fields (e.g., food categories, intended use, packaging) to simplify the process for newcomers.
‍

Flowchart Customization
‍

‍

Lack of customization hindered clarity in the planning.
‍
‍

Enable users to customize flow chart elements, such as colors and shapes, for better alignment with industry standards.
‍

Copy-Paste Functionality
‍

‍

Manual repetition of steps was time-consuming.
‍
‍

Add copy-paste capabilities for duplicating steps and fields, significantly improving user efficiency.
‍

Enhanced PDF Export

‍

Inspectors found the exported PDF difficult to review due to formatting issues.
‍

Enhance PDF export formatting by allowing adjustments to font size, alignment, and layout for clearer readability.
‍

Hazard Analysis Editing

‍