AI Assist
The rapidly evolving landscape of generative AI tools presents an exciting opportunity for innovation. In response to this trend, B12 is strategically positioned to capitalize on it through the introduction of improvements to AI Assist. This initiative specifically focuses on enabling users to effortlessly generate text for entire pages or collection items within our website editor.
Organization:
B12
Role:
UI/UX Designer and Researcher
What is B12?
B12 is a centralized, do-it-for-you platform that enables professional services firms to easily establish, run, and grow their business online. Within 30 days, B12 sets business' up with all of the tools needed to reach clients, offer their services, and get paid.
B12 supercharged AI instantly drafts a website, and their team of copywriters, designers, and SEO specialists brings businesses online in 30 days. They deliver a search-optimized online presence with the integrated tools their customers need to serve and charge their clients.
Overview
As part of B12’s website editor, AI Assist is an in-product feature that empowers users to generate high-quality, customized website copy using generative AI. In just a few clicks, users can create content for entire pages, sections, or CMS items.
The goal of AI Assist was to evolve the original into a scalable, discoverable, and intuitive tool that would accelerate site creation and drive user success.
Target users
DIY customers
Creating their own websites
B12 experts
Helping customers with setup
Investors and stakeholders
Evaluating AI capabilities
Problem
Our V1 release of AI Assist was functional but limited:
1
Limited Field Support:
It only supported rich text fields and lacked bulk capabilities
2
Low Discoverability:
There was low discoverability; many users didn’t know where or how to use it
3
Prompt Reliance Created Friction: Users had to write their own prompts which created friction and inconsistency
4
No CMS or Metadata Coverage:
Users couldn’t generate content for common CMS items or meta fields
These limitations prevented users especially small business owners and DIY leads from realizing the full value of our AI tools.
Before
Key Use Cases
Where the AI Assist tool would provide the most value and be used most frequently in the B12 Editor.
Solution: AI Assist (V2)
We redesigned AI Assist to be more intuitive, intelligent, and integrated across the editor. Key improvements included:
1
Improving Discoverability:
Clearly surfaced in the editor at the page, section, and CMS level for seamless access.
2
Bulk Authoring:
Users can generate content for entire sections, pages, or CMS collections at once.
3
Prompt-free simplicity:
Structured inputs replace open-ended prompts, reducing friction and improving relevance.
4
Broader Field coverage:
Now supports titles, subtitles, and SEO metadata, not just rich text.
Outcome
Business Impact
-
Increased website publish rates through faster content creation
-
Higher conversion from DIY leads due to improved reveal quality
-
Reduced user friction = stronger onboarding and first-time experience
-
Enhanced perception of B12’s AI capabilities among investors and stakeholders
Reflections
This project was a deep exploration of how to bring AI-driven UX into a live, high-impact product. It pushed me to design for flexibility (multiple use cases and field types), clarity (minimizing user decision-making), and scale (batch generation across the platform).
Designing for both power users and non-technical business owners helped shape a solution that feels smart, supportive, and frictionless without overwhelming the user.