It's easier to explain the idea using trav sacks as an example.
Currently, if you want to craft a trav sack but have no hard leather, you have to go through a whole series of clicks to get to the button to craft hardened leather. The idea is anytime an ingredient on the craft screen is also craftable, the icon of that ingredient is a shortcut link to crafting that item. So, when I click to craft a trav sack, it shows an icon of hardened leather and string. string is not craftable, but hardened leather is, so I could click on the image of hardened leather and now the craft panel changes from trav sack to hardened leather.