Problem
R&D teams often manage recipe versions, testing data, feedback, and approvals across disconnected workflows, making it difficult to track product development efficiently.
R&D Recipe Management
R&D Workflow Management Platform
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Building a Centralized R&D Recipe Management Platform
An enterprise R&D platform designed to streamline recipe formulation, lab batch management, product testing, feedback, version control, and production approval.
Goal
Design a centralized platform that simplifies the complete R&D workflow while providing clear visibility into recipe status, testing progress, feedback, and approvals.
Target Users
- R&D Scientists
- Lab Technicians
- Taste Panelists
- R&D Managers
- Quality & Compliance Teams
Outcome
- Centralized Recipe Management
- Structured R&D Workflow
- Clear Version Tracking
- Streamlined Testing & Feedback
- Faster Approval & Collaboration
Understanding the Problem
Before designing the platform, I analyzed the R&D product-development workflow and identified key challenges teams face while managing recipes, testing, feedback, and approvals.
Complex R&D Workflows
Managing recipes across formulation, lab batches, testing, feedback, and approval can involve multiple disconnected steps, making the process difficult to track.
Impact
- High cognitive load
- Repeated manual work
- Increased chances of errors
Difficult Workflow Tracking
Teams need to track recipe versions, batch status, testing progress, and approvals across different stages of development.
Impact
- Poor visibility
- Extra navigation steps
- Delayed decisions
Scattered Product Information
Recipe data, test results, feedback, compliance details, and version changes can become difficult to find when information is spread across different workflows.
Impact
- Information overload
- Slower decision-making
- Reduced confidence
Design Opportunity
How might we simplify R&D workflows while maintaining enterprise-level control, traceability, and collaboration?
User Research
To understand the needs of different R&D stakeholders, I identified the primary user groups involved in recipe development and documented their goals and day-to-day requirements.
R&D Scientist
Responsible for developing recipes, managing formulations, and coordinating product iterations.
Needs
- Recipe & Version Management
- Formulation Tracking
- Batch Creation & Monitoring
Taste Panelist / Tester
Evaluates product samples and provides structured feedback on taste, aroma, carbonation, and overall quality.
Needs
- Simple Feedback Forms
- Product Evaluation
- Improvement Suggestions
R&D Head / Approver
Reviews test results, compliance information, and recipe changes before approving a version for production.
Needs
- Approval Visibility
- Compliance & Test Results
- Version Comparison
USER JOURNEY
Recipe Development & Approval Flow
Follow the complete R&D journey from creating a recipe to approving the final version for production.
Create Recipe
Define recipe & ingredients
Formulation
Build and refine recipe
Create Batch
Prepare lab batch
Testing
Evaluate product
Feedback
Capture tester insights
Iteration
Compare & improve versions
Approval
Review & approve
Production
Release final recipe
Information Architecture
The platform is organized into modular sections to simplify navigation, improve discoverability, and support the complete R&D workflow.
Recipe Management
- Dashboard
- Recipes
- Formulations
- Ingredients
Testing & Feedback
- Batches
- Testing
- Feedback
- Test Results
Review & Release
- Version Comparison
- Approval
- Reports
- Production Release
Low-Fidelity Wireframes
Before moving into high-fidelity designs, I explored the core product structure through low-fidelity wireframes. This helped validate screen hierarchy, information placement and user flow without focusing on visual styling.
Dashboard
R&D workflow overview & activity tracking.
Sales
Recipe library & version management.
Purchase
Recipe formulation & ingredient management.
Compare Recipe
Compare formulations & track recipe changes.
Final User Interface
The final interfaces were designed to simplify accounting workflows while maintaining scalability and consistency across the platform.
Dashboard
Purpose
Provide R&D teams with a quick overview of recipe development, testing progress, pending feedback, approvals, and recent activities in one place.
Key UX Decisions
- R&D Workflow Overview
- Action Required
- Testing Status
- Recent Test Results
- Recent Batches & Activity
Recipe List
Purpose
Provide R&D teams with a centralized view to manage recipe versions, monitor development status, and quickly start the next workflow.
Key UX Decisions
- Search & Filters
- Recipe Status & Versioning
- Quick Actions
- Recipe Ownership
- Create Your Next Recipe
Create New Recipe
Purpose
Allow R&D scientists to create a structured recipe by defining its formulation, ingredients, product details, and development notes.
Key UX Decisions
- Recipe Details
- Image Upload
- Ingredient-Based Formulation
- Automatic Cost Calculation
- Separate Development Notes
- Save or Send to Batch Testing
Compare Recipe Versions
Purpose
Help R&D scientists quickly identify formulation changes between recipe versions and understand how those changes affect cost and development decisions.
Key UX Decisions
- Side-by-Side Comparison
- Version Selector
- Change Highlighting
- Reason for Change
- Cost Comparison
- Version History
Final Approval
Purpose
Provide the R&D Head with a complete review of a tested recipe before making the final production decision.
Key UX Decisions
- Production Readiness Summary
- Final Formulation Review
- Compliance Checklist
- Stability & Shelf-Life Information
- Approver Information
IMPLEMENTATION
Built for Scalability
After validating the R&D workflow in Figma, the interfaces were translated into a scalable Angular application using reusable components and a consistent design system.
HTML5
Semantic structure for accessible, responsive, and well-organized enterprise interfaces.
SCSS
Reusable styles, variables, and utility patterns for maintaining consistent UI across the application.
Angular
Component-based architecture for building scalable enterprise applications.
Responsive Enterprise UI
Reusable Angular Components
Role-Based Workflows
Form Validation & Calculations
Recipe Version Control
Scalable Design System
Project Impact
Key outcomes achieved through streamlined R&D workflows, clearer information architecture, and reusable UI patterns.
Faster Recipe Development
Structured recipe creation, testing, feedback, and approval workflows reduce unnecessary navigation and manual effort.
Better Traceability
Recipe versioning and side-by-side comparisons make formulation changes easier to review and track.
Improved Collaboration
Role-based workflows connect R&D scientists, testers, and approvers throughout the product development cycle.
REFLECTION
What I Learned
Designing an R&D workflow taught me how important it is to balance usability, traceability, and business processes.
Understand the workflow before designing
Mapping the journey from recipe creation to testing, feedback, and approval helped me design around real user tasks rather than individual screens.
Different roles need different experiences
R&D scientists, testers, and approvers have different responsibilities, so the interface should surface the information and actions relevant to each role.
Make complex information easy to compare
Version comparisons, formulation details, test results, and compliance data need clear hierarchy so users can make decisions confidently.
Design for traceability
In an enterprise R&D product, recording changes, feedback, approvals, and version history is just as important as completing the primary task.
Final Screens
