What's the best way to display options within options within options in an onboarding process?

Question

I am creating an onboarding process where the admin dictates requirements for it's members.

They start by selecting from a list of identifiers

[ ] Meat [ ] Poultry [ ] Seafood [ ] Produce

Then they go into each identifier they select and pick options

Meat:

[ ] Steak [ ] Hamburger [ ] Hot dogs

Then they go into each option and pick more options

Steak:

[ ] Filet Mignon [ ] NY Strip [ ] Ribeye

Now they will need to go back through this process for possibly Poultry, Seafood and Produce.

What's the best way to do this? What is this called?

Answer 1

I don't know if there is a name for this iterative process but I would clearly identify where the user is. For example a breadcrumb can show where the user is in the process (first time through the iteration as well as subsequent times through).

Identifier > Sub-identifier > Sub-sub-identifier

I would also consider showing the completed Categories. For example (and don't pay attention to my wording)

"You have completed: MEAT"

If complex iterations are commonplace (and non-sequential) and if the staff are often called away from the on-boarding task and come back to it later then I would consider showing a more in depth display of what has been done as well as the available options. Something along the line of:

YOU HAVE COMPLETED

[Main Category Label]

AAA

BBB

CCC

Meat

DDD

Poultry

Produce

Seafood

Answer 2

Maybe an old classic tree for this kind of need. If you want to go back and forth it seems a not so bad idea.

For limited space and/or more step by step approach you can go to a wizard like interface.

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