Hokka-AI Lab – Development Story

Inspiration

While flashy use cases of generative AI flood social media, it’s rare to find real-world examples of how everyday people actually use AI in their workplaces or local communities. This gap inspired the creation of Hokka-AI Lab—a platform to collect and share down-to-earth, reproducible AI use cases from people working in Hokkaido.

What it does

Hokka-AI Lab allows anyone to submit and share their real-life generative AI use cases. To make posting easy and accessible, the platform includes AI-powered support features like automatic title generation, text proofreading, and tag suggestions. It’s designed to lower the barrier for sharing and make each story easy to understand and replicate.

How we built it

This project was built entirely solo. I used Bolt.new to take advantage of its no-setup, AI-assisted development environment. From designing the UI to implementing the post submission flow and data storage, I iteratively refined the product through trial and error, working closely with the AI to shape each part.

Challenges we ran into

Limited technical knowledge made it challenging to choose the right structure and understand the AI-generated code. There were times when I couldn’t immediately grasp what the AI was trying to do. Designing a seamless posting experience also required tough decisions about which features to include and which to simplify.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

I'm proud to have created a functional, usable platform as a solo developer. I was able to push past my own limitations by leveraging AI, and I’m particularly satisfied with the polished UI and user experience I achieved. It feels rewarding to have made something practical on my own.

What we learned

The biggest barrier to AI adoption isn’t the technology itself—it’s whether people feel like they can use it. Designing with that in mind, I learned how crucial it is to build systems that empower users by making the process approachable and intuitive.

What's next for Hokka-AI Lab

Next, I plan to add features like anonymous posting, search and filter options, and category-based browsing. I also aim to evolve the platform into a media hub that visualizes how different communities across Japan—and eventually the world—are using AI in real, meaningful ways.

Built With

• gemini
• japanese
• openai
• supabese