Build a Database as You Go. How to Build an AI Content App With AI

Build a Database as You Go. How to Build an AI Content App With AI
This post explores a pioneering approach to app development, where an MVP is created without a traditional database

I developed an MVP for a client without a populating an initial database, but instead users create content just in time with an LLM, inspired by NineTwoThree’s design foundation project.

Product design with NineTwoThree

My "aha" moment? Why not let users dictate the database's growth, selecting and creating options as they go?

Here’s the gist: Every new selection by a user spawns a full-fledged app page. Think about the early days of mobile apps. Developers had to pre-fill data for dropdowns and profiles to prevent duplicate entries. Remember typing in "apple" and getting three different versions? We solved that with preset dropdown lists and manual input for later categorization.

When Google was young, Yahoo used librarians to classify internet pages. Netflix used international talent for movie classifications, and TripAdvisor still employs many to sort location details. There used to be a lot of manual labor needed to start any tech company.

This concept becomes even more fascinating with broader categories like animals, foods, or books. Imagine a pet company listing dog breeds. They’d need to compile an exhaustive list, possibly buying data to capture the myriad breeds created over time. A Herculean and expensive task that takes months, if not years.

But what if we need more than just names? When choosing a movie, you want a synopsis, or for a dog breed, maybe it's color. Enter user-generated app pages: reviews, descriptions, and summaries. It’s a daunting task to create a database with such depth. But with our MVP model, this problem vanishes.

Databases illustrated

So, what if a database could evolve in real time with each user contribution? Imagine an app for dog breeds that started with zero breeds. On day one, a user adds "Husky." Instantly, a page is created for "Siberian Husky" (yes, we correct for variations). The Large Language Model (LLM) generates a description and fetches a Creative Commons image in milliseconds.

Voilà! A comprehensive, user-friendly app for training dog breeds emerges. We’ll discuss how to make this its own app below.

Creating a Just-In-Time, User-Generated App

The application we're discussing is a pioneering approach to content creation and delivery. It's centered around real-time, user-driven content generation, leveraging the capabilities of a Large Language Model (LLM).

Core Features of the App

Here are the core features that set this app apart, each designed to enhance user engagement and provide a dynamic, personalized experience:

-User-Driven Content Creation: This app stands out for its interactive nature. Users play a central role in content generation, where their inputs and queries shape the content they receive. For instance, a user looking for pet training advice can input specific requirements (like training a husky puppy), and the app will generate a customized training plan based on this input.

Training a husky puppy

-Dynamic Page Generation: The app's unique feature is its ability to create content-rich, dynamic pages in response to user queries. Each user interaction, such as a query about husky training, triggers the generation of a detailed, tailor-made response, which is presented as a newly created page. This ensures that the content is not only specific but also highly relevant and up-to-date.

-Just-In-Time Database Evolution: Unlike conventional apps that rely on a pre-filled, static database, this application evolves in real-time. The content database grows and adapts based on continuous user input, reflecting the ever-changing nature of information. This approach allows for a more organic and user-responsive content evolution.

Database evolution

Moving from the core features that define the app's unique user experience, let's look into the technical side of building such an innovative application. This involves incorporating advanced technologies and thoughtful design to ensure that the app meets user expectations in interactivity and real-time responsiveness.

Building the App

To construct an app that truly stands out in this landscape, it is essential to meticulously integrate various sophisticated technologies and methodologies. This process not only involves technical prowess but also a deep understanding of user behavior and preferences.

-Integrating an LLM: The backbone of the app is a powerful Large Language Model. This model processes user queries, understands the context, and generates appropriate content. The LLM must be sophisticated enough to handle diverse user inputs and generate coherent, accurate, and useful responses.

LLM integration

-Developing a User Interface (UI): A user-friendly interface is crucial. It should be intuitive, allowing users to easily input their queries and navigate through the generated content.

-Implementing Real-Time Response Systems: The app must be equipped with the capability to generate and display content in real-time. This requires efficient backend algorithms and a robust server infrastructure to handle multiple user requests simultaneously.

-Continuous Learning and Updating: The app should be designed to learn from user interactions, enhancing its content generation capability over time. This involves regular updates to the LLM and constant monitoring of user engagement to refine the app's performance.

By combining these elements, the app can offer a unique, interactive experience where users are not just passive receivers of information but active participants in content creation.

In demonstrating its capacity for just-in-time content generation, the app can provide differentiated content for specific dog breeds, such as contrasting the training styles for Huskies and Chow Chows. The app would offer unique insights into the distinct training needs and methods suitable for each breed, acknowledging their individual characteristics. 

Users could access a comparative analysis of training approaches for these breeds, understanding the specific requirements and nuances of each. Based on the user's breed preference, the app would deliver personalized training recommendations, tips, and techniques. Incorporating input from a community of breed owners enriches the content with practical advice and suggestions. 

As more users engage with the breed-specific content, the app continually refines its training suggestions and comparisons, enhancing the accuracy and relevance of its content over time.

This app exemplifies the potential of AI-driven, real-time content generation in enhancing personalized user experiences. It stands not only as a tool for efficient and effective dog training but also as a testament to the transformative power of technology in the realm of personalized digital solutions.

This app sets a new benchmark for personalized digital experiences, transforming users from mere audience members into active creators and participants in the content landscape. Let’s look deeper into how this application works in practice.

Application in Practice

Let's explore how this app transforms from an initial blank canvas to a dynamic, user-responsive platform. From Day 0, the system begins with no predefined data, ready to be molded by user interactions and tailored to specific needs, exemplified here through the lens of dog training

  • On Day 0, the system starts with a clean slate, devoid of predefined data. In this case, the system has a template that can be applied to any dog breed depending on its energy levels.
Dog breed template
  • User Interaction is the trigger: a user asks ChatGPT to create a specific plan, like one for training a husky puppy.
Creating a training plan
  • In Content Generation, ChatGPT crafts a detailed response, encompassing step-by-step training plans, relevant timelines, and practical tips.
Practical tips for training your husky
  • User-generated content pages emerge from these detailed responses, forming the foundation of the app's content, uniquely tailored to each user's query.
Foundation of an app
  • To enhance the experience, the system can also generate Training Journal Templates, helping users navigate through various stages of pet training.
Training journal template

This journey from a blank slate to a richly personalized and interactive platform demonstrates the app's unique ability to evolve and adapt. The app creates a bespoke experience that is constantly reshaped and enriched by each user's input, which carries plenty of benefits.

Full plan for training a husky

Benefits of This Approach

This dynamic and user-focused application has several benefits that distinguish it from traditional apps and contribute to an enhanced, more efficient user experience.

  • Customization: Users receive highly relevant content
  • Scalability: The app's ability to continuously expand and adapt ensures coverage of a wide array of topics and scenarios.
  • Efficiency: By dynamically generating and updating content, this model circumvents the laborious process of creating and maintaining a traditional database.

Now, it’s time to take a look at the results of our application.

Result: An App That’s Built in Real Time

The user experience (UX) principles for such an app is important to its success. Key among these is intuitive navigation, ensuring users can effortlessly find what they need. 

Responsiveness is another crucial element, with the app rapidly reacting to user inputs to provide immediate and relevant content. 

Personalization is ultimately at the core of the UX design, aiming to cater to individual user preferences and needs. Engagement is also vital, with the interface designed to be inviting and interactive, encouraging users to explore the app's full range of capabilities. Lastly, adaptive learning is a feature where the app learns from user interactions to continually improve its content and recommendations.

The culmination of this process is an application that's not only built in real-time but also continuously enriched through user-generated data. This model redefines the UX, offering immediate, personalized content.

A practical implementation might include defining UX principles and templates, such as training journals, to structure the dynamically generated content.

The app's framework allows for ongoing adaptation and growth, accommodating diverse content ranging from comparing dog breeds like Huskies and Chow Chows to offering a variety of training plans and tips.

This approach marks a significant shift in application development, harnessing AI's power for real-time, personalized content creation, and user engagement.

With some code, we can complete our mission of building a real-time app based on user-generated user demographics.

This app, designed to leverage advanced AI capabilities and user interactions, specializes in generating and adapting content instantaneously in response to user inputs. Its real-time functionality offers a highly responsive and adaptive user experience, making it an innovative tool for personalized content creation.

A practical application of this app is a training journal template specifically designed for any dog breed. This template would feature customizable training plans that users can adjust based on their puppy's behavior and progress. It would include interactive milestone trackers to celebrate key moments in the puppy’s training journey. 

Multiple training plans for different breeds

Feedback loops would allow users to provide input on training sessions, which the app can use to refine future suggestions. The template would also offer access to a comprehensive library of training resources, tips, and advice tailored for husky puppies. It would also incorporate visual tools for tracking the puppy’s progress, enhancing the user’s sense of achievement and engagement. As the app grows, it also creates a feedback loop to market the product and find more users who could use the personalized content.

Connecting Product to Marketing

This app strategy fosters a self-sustaining marketing model. Marketing campaigns are tailored based on the most popular breeds entered by users who drive these campaigns. SEO strategies are then aligned with this user-generated content, attracting more users to the app.

The approach significantly reduces the need for large content creation teams, instead utilizing AI-driven tools to cut costs and enhance efficiency. By focusing on robust UX principles, developers can rapidly create apps that are both user-friendly and rich in personalized content. This method not only streamlines the development process but also ensures that the applications are tailored to the users' needs and behaviors.

In essence, this strategy marks a transformative shift in digital experience creation within the pet industry. It emphasizes speed, cost-effectiveness, and user-centricity, turning the app into a dynamic, self-evolving ecosystem that continuously adapts and grows based on user interaction and AI integration.

If you're inspired by this approach and are interested in developing a similar application for your business, consider reaching out to NineTwoThree Studio. We are experts in building innovative and user-centric digital solutions.

Andrew Amann
Andrew Amann
Building a NineTwoThree Studio
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