interfaces
ux research, accessibility and ux cases
A selection of real-world case studies in UX Research, UX Design, Accessibility, Service Design, and Strategic Design, developed in different contexts — private companies, government organizations, and third-sector institutions.
The cards present concise fact sheets of projects whose results, data, and strategic information are protected by confidentiality agreements. Therefore, the focus is on explaining the contexts and challenges faced, research and design methods and techniques, as well as the tools used in each project, offering an objective view of how different UX approaches can be applied to real problems and complex contexts.
Affordable school product
Project Liber — Usability, Accessibility, and Assistive Technology National Institute of Technology (INT) · Industrial Design Division (DivDI) UX Research · Accessibility · Inclusive Design · Assistive Technology CHALLENGE To develop and evaluate the user experience of an assistive reading and writing solution, considering different access and interaction needs. The system combined a specialized keyboard with text-to-speech and Braille conversion features. MY ROLE I worked as a researcher in Usability, Accessibility, and Inclusive Design, being responsible for modeling the research, conducting focus groups with users, and analyzing the user experience. The results contributed to the improvement of the prototype and were consolidated into a technical report for Finep and the Brazilian Government. SKILLS UX Research · Usability · Accessibility · Inclusive Design · Assistive Technology · User Research · Experience Analysis METHODOLOGY & TECHNIQUES User research · Focus groups · Usability evaluation · Accessibility evaluation · User experience analysis · Applied research TECHNOLOGIES / TOOLS Assistive reading and writing system · Specialized keyboard · Text-to-speech conversion · Text-to-Braille conversion DELIVERABLES Study modeling · Conducting focus groups · User experience analysis · Recommendations for system improvement · Technical report for Finep and the Brazilian Government
LMS & digital course EJA
EJA — Usability, UX Research, Accessibility, and Assistive Technology National Institute of Technology (INT) · Industrial Design Division (DivDI) UX Research · Accessibility · Inclusive Design · Assistive Technology CONTEXT The E-Jovem — Youth in EJA Course is an initiative of the Ministry of Education in partnership with the Federal Fluminense University, aimed at training teachers of Basic Education and undergraduate students for Youth and Adult Education. The course brings together content in different formats, including texts, podcasts, and animated films, seeking to broaden the dialogue between youth, youth cultures, and schooling. CHALLENGE To increase the accessibility of the course's digital content and resources for people with visual and hearing impairments, identifying barriers to access, comprehension, and interaction, and proposing adaptations that would make the educational experience more inclusive. MY ROLE I worked as a research fellow on the accessibility team, participating in the evaluation and adaptation of digital content for people with visual and hearing impairments. The work involved specialized analysis of interfaces and components, identification of accessibility barriers, and development of recommendations to make educational resources more accessible. My role integrated research, UX evaluation, and accessibility into the production process of a nationally recognized digital educational environment. SKILLS UX Research · Usability · Accessibility · Inclusive Design · Assistive Technology · User Research · Experience Analysis METHODOLOGY & TECHNIQUES Expert evaluation · Heuristic evaluation · Accessibility inspection · Code validation · Evaluation of accessible components · Contrast analysis · Evaluation of color use for different types of color blindness · Analysis of interaction barriers · Accessibility recommendations TECHNOLOGIES / TOOLS Figma · FigJam · Code validation and accessibility tools · Digital readers · Digital component validators · Contrast analysis and color blindness simulation tools PROCESS & DOCUMENTATION Use of Figma and FigJam for recording, organizing, and communicating the evaluation process, documenting findings, and constructing recommendations. Delivering presentations to the teams involved, translating accessibility problems into concrete opportunities for improvement for designers, developers, and other project professionals. DELIVERABLES Accessibility assessment of content and interfaces · Identification and documentation of barriers · Validation of components and code · Recommendations for adaptation · Documentation of the research and evaluation process · Presentation of findings and guidance to the teams. IMPACT Contribution to building a more inclusive and accessible digital educational experience, considering different forms of perception, interaction, and access to information by people with visual and hearing impairments.
Design Services and NGO Redesign
Refazer Institute · Third Sector Service Design · UX Research · Human-Centered Design · Social Innovation · Dovetail CONTEXT The Refazer Institute works in the rehabilitation and inclusion of children and adolescents with disabilities, offering multidisciplinary care and support to their families. In 2024, the organization was recognized by the Best NGOs Award in three categories: Best NGO in Rio de Janeiro, Best Social Assistance NGO, and included in the list of the Best NGOs in Brazil. CHALLENGE To understand the internal service culture and the experience of the different audiences that interact with the organization—those assisted, family members, employees, volunteers, and other stakeholders—identifying opportunities to improve processes, interactions, and services and strengthen the alignment between institutional purpose, experience, and quality of care. MY ROLE I worked as a service designer and researcher, conducting an investigation into the organization's service experience and culture. My role involved direct interaction with the president and vice-president, monitoring strategic decisions related to the project. The research results were presented to the Board of Directors as input for a broader organizational redesign process guided by the principles of Service Design. SKILLS Service Design · UX Research · Human-Centered Design · Service Design · Qualitative Research · Strategy · Social Innovation · Facilitation · Co-creation · Stakeholder Management · User Journey · Organizational Transformation METHODOLOGY & TECHNIQUES Interviews · Field observation · Contextual research · Co-creation workshops · Stakeholder mapping · Personas and user profiles · Journey modeling · Experience analysis · Process and service mapping · Strategic facilitation TOOLS Stakeholder maps · User journeys · Service Blueprints · Service Design Canvas and frameworks · Facilitation and co-creation techniques · Documentation and visualization tools for the research process. Dovetail PROCESS & DECISION The research articulated different perspectives of the organization to reveal points of contact, needs, expectations, conflicts, and opportunities for improvement throughout the service experience. The insights were transformed into input for strategic discussion with leadership and the Board of Directors, connecting research evidence to organizational redesign decisions. DELIVERABLES Research on the internal service culture · Stakeholder mapping · User journeys · Identification of improvement opportunities · Co-creation workshops · Synthesis of insights and recommendations · Presentation of results to the Board of Directors · Input for the redesign of processes, interactions, and services. IMPACT Contribution to strengthening the service culture, experience management, and social innovation processes of the Refazer Institute, bringing organizational decisions closer to the needs and experiences of its different audiences.
Game & app
Media and Entertainment Company · UX Research · Digital Product · Sports Entertainment CONTEXT Worked on an ongoing UX research project for a digital sports entertainment platform, aiming to support product evolution and guide the development of a new version. The planning structured the research into three phases — diagnosis, immersion and ideation, and validation and interaction — throughout 2024 and 2025. CHALLENGE To understand the current user experience, identify factors related to perceived value, engagement, churn, and subscription reactivation, and generate knowledge capable of guiding new functionalities, content offerings, and the strategic evolution of the product. The study also sought to understand the relationship between the product, the users' daily lives, and their different levels of engagement. MY ROLE I worked as a User Researcher, participating in the planning and execution of a longitudinal research strategy. I conducted quantitative and qualitative studies, including surveys and focus groups, as well as structuring evaluation and validation research. The research was organized to generate evidence for different stages of the product development cycle, supporting both the diagnosis and the ideation and validation of new solutions. SKILLS UX Research · Quantitative Research · Qualitative Research · Usability · Participatory Design · Cooperative Evaluation · Interviews · Facilitation · Data Analysis and Insights · Product Strategy · Longitudinal Research · Customer/User Experience METHODOLOGY & TECHNIQUES 01 · Diagnosis Quantitative survey · Focus groups · User segmentation · Behavior and engagement analysis · Investigation of value perception · Research on subscription abandonment and reactivation. The qualitative stage included 16 participants, distributed into groups according to engagement profiles and subscription behavior. 02 · Immersion and Ideation Cooperative evaluation · Participatory design · Exploration of alternative functionalities · User interaction dynamics · Identification of benefits, barriers, and problems · Support for the ideation of new features and offers. The approach sought to bring users and the product team closer together in a more open and collaborative dynamic. 03 · Validation and Interaction Usability tests · Interviews · QUIS 7.0 · Definition of KPIs · Satisfaction evaluation · Learning curve analysis · Perception mapping. This stage aimed to thoroughly evaluate the new version before launch, identifying critical points for experience, engagement, and retention. RESEARCH ARTIFACTS & TOOLS Survey · Qualtrics. Focus group scripts · Questionnaires · Annotated prototypes · Research documentation · Findings · Scenarios · Research reports · QUIS 7.0 · Evaluation KPIs. The planning included the production of documentation, findings, scenarios, and annotated prototypes as intermediate artifacts to guide the product's evolution. PROCESS & STRATEGY One of the project's distinguishing features was the structuring of a continuous research agenda, connecting different methods to the development stages. The results of one stage fed into the next: the diagnosis guided immersion and ideation; the learnings from ideation supported the selection and refinement of functionalities; and the solutions were subsequently submitted to validation with users. DELIVERABLES Strategic research planning · Survey · Focus groups · Research reports · Findings · Scenarios · Cooperative evaluations · Annotated prototypes · Usability testing · Satisfaction evaluation · Study documentation · Presentation of results to teams. IMPACT The research structured a continuous process of generating and applying knowledge about users, transforming research evidence into input for product decisions, feature ideation, and validation of new experiences. The planning also established a direct connection between research, participatory design, and product evolution.
Information Architecture and Navigation
Educational Portal — Information Architecture and Navigation Educational Institution · Confidential Project UX Research · Information Architecture · Usability · User Testing · Optimal Workshop CHALLENGE To evaluate whether the Information Architecture structure of the educational portal met the expectations and mental models of users, identifying possible problems in grouping, ordering, labeling, and extending navigation paths. The study was conducted without considering the graphic elements of the interface, focusing exclusively on the content structure. MY ROLE I planned and conducted a navigation evaluation based on real-world usage tasks, involving 82 participants. The study sought to understand how users navigated the portal's structure to locate different types of information and compare their choices with the architecture planned by the project. SKILLS UX Research · Usability · Information Architecture · User Testing · Behavioral Analysis · Navigation Analysis · Mental Models · Quantitative Research · Task Analysis METHODOLOGY & TECHNIQUES Tree Testing · Task-Based Evaluation · Navigation Route Analysis · Success Rate · Execution Time · Alternative Path Analysis · Identification of Grouping, Ordering, and Labeling Problems · Evaluation of Path Length. TOOLS Optimal Workshop — Treejack · Questionnaires · Route Visualizations · Navigation Maps · Task Performance Analysis. Treejack allowed the portal structure to be presented only as a textual hierarchy, isolating the Information Architecture from the visual aspects of the interface. SAMPLE & SCOPE 82 users · 4 main tasks · Evaluation of different navigation paths · Measurement of accuracy and execution time. Tasks included locating academic information, professors, laboratories, and services offered by the institution. DELIVERABLES Route maps · Success rates · Execution times · Analysis of paths taken · Identification of navigation patterns · Task performance indicators · Recommendations for Information Architecture. VALUE FOR THE PROJECT The research allowed for a comparison of the architecture conceived by the team with the paths actually chosen by users, providing evidence for decisions related to the organization, naming, and hierarchy of information. Complete conclusions have been preserved for confidentiality reasons.
Layout evaluation and
first-click test
Educational Institution · Confidential Project UX Research · Usability · Interface Design · First-Click Testing CHALLENGE To evaluate whether the visual composition of the homepage helped users locate information and perform tasks. The study focused on the graphic elements of the interface, investigating the efficiency of the grid, the positioning of elements, and the visual composition. MY ROLE I conducted a First-Click Testing evaluation with 72 participants, using specific tasks related to the homepage interface. The research allowed me to observe where users made their first click and compare the chosen location with the expected objective for each task. SKILLS UX Research · Usability · User Testing · First-Click Testing · UI Evaluation · Interaction Analysis · Behavioral Analysis · Quantitative Research · Interface Evaluation METHODOLOGY & TECHNIQUES First-Click Testing · Task-based testing · Click maps · Success rate · Average execution time · Analysis of element location · Evaluation of visual composition · Interface perception research. TOOLS Optimal Workshop — First-click Testing · Click maps · Questionnaires · Adobe Photoshop for processing images used in the study's public documentation, preserving the visual identity and anonymity of the institution. SAMPLE & SCOPE 72 participants · 4 tasks · Homepage evaluation · Click and execution time analysis. The published results recorded 39, 41, 59, and 39 successful clicks in the four tasks, respectively, with average times of 8.1 s, 20.5 s, 9.7 s, and 17.4 s. DELIVERABLES Click maps · Results per task · Success rates · Average times · Visual perception assessment · Assessment of the layout's contribution to information location. PERCEPTION & EXPERIENCE At the end of the test, participants evaluated whether the website's visuals were pleasing and whether they contributed to information retrieval, using an NPS scale. VALUE FOR THE PROJECT The study complemented the structural evaluation of the Information Architecture by investigating the visual layer of the interface: while Treejack assessed whether users could find information within the portal's structure, First-Click Testing investigated where users searched and clicked on the interface. Together, the studies provided a broader view of the portal's navigation experience.
Design lead
Government of the State of Rio de Janeiro — First Generation of e-Gov Government of the State of Rio de Janeiro · PRODERJ · FAPERJ UX · Digital Design · Information Architecture · Digital Transformation · Design Management CONTEXT In the late 1990s, I worked on the implementation of one of the first e-government experiences in Brazil, leading the team responsible for the digital presence of the Government of the State of Rio de Janeiro. The experience evolved into the conception and implementation of digital solutions for different public bodies, combining design, technology, content, and strategy. CHALLENGE To conceive and structure the first digital communication and service channels of the state government during a period of rapid technological transformation, establishing information architecture, navigation, visual identity, and interaction models suitable for the web environment and the needs of different public administration audiences. MY EXPERIENCE In 1999, I organized and led a web design team responsible for implementing the first generation of e-Gov on the websites of the Rio de Janeiro State Government. Later, at PRODERJ, I designed and led a multidisciplinary team of designers, programmers, and content professionals, working on the conception and implementation of digital solutions for different government agencies. Simultaneously, I coordinated the design team at FAPERJ, participating in strategic communication and scientific dissemination projects. In this context, I developed the digital version of the Science Map of the State of Rio de Janeiro and led the creation of the Foundation's institutional portal, later recognized with the award for Best Science and Technology Page in Brazil, granted by the Cadê search engine in 2002. SKILLS Digital Design · UX Design · Information Architecture · Interaction Design · Web Design · Service Design · Branding · Digital Communication · Information Visualization · Design Management · Team Leadership · Project Management · Digital Transformation METHODOLOGY & PRACTICES Information Architecture · Navigation Structuring · Interaction Design · Digital Product Conception · Interface Design · Visual Identity · Project Management · Multidisciplinary Leadership · Integration between Design, Technology and Content · Scientific Communication and Dissemination TEAM & MANAGEMENT Team building and leadership Multidisciplinary teams involving designers, programmers, and content professionals, combining different skills for the conception, development, and implementation of digital products and services in the public sector. PROJECTS & DELIVERABLES First generation of e-Government websites for the State Government of Rio de Janeiro · Digital solutions for public agencies · Science Map of the State of Rio de Janeiro · FAPERJ institutional portal · Visual identities and websites for the Computer Network and SocINFO-RJ. RECOGNITION In 2002, the FAPERJ institutional portal received the award for Best Science and Technology Page in Brazil, granted by the Cadê search engine, in recognition of the project's quality and innovation and its contribution to scientific dissemination. IMPACT This experience consolidated a pioneering trajectory at the intersection of Design, Technology, and Digital Communication, contributing to the modernization of the public sector's digital presence and to the creation of models for digital products and services oriented towards information, communication, and access to government services.
EMP
Project Lead
User Validation Program — Democratizing Research Media and Technology Company · Confidential Project UX Research · Usability · User-Centered Design · Training CONTEXT The User Validation Program was an initiative created to bring user research closer to product teams, making solution validation a more accessible and integrated practice in the daily lives of squads. The initiative supported teams in the digital environment and other areas of the organization in conducting usability tests and obtaining evidence directly from users. CHALLENGE To expand the teams' ability to conduct and use user research without relying exclusively on centralized UX Research structures. The challenge was to incorporate investigation and validation practices into the rhythm of agile teams, creating a simple, replicable, and decision-oriented process. MY ROLE I acted as the leader of the initiative, structuring and coordinating the program with the product teams. My role involved disseminating research methods and techniques, supporting the definition of studies, guiding teams in the preparation and execution of tests, and systematizing learnings. Leadership also involved training and mentoring professionals, strengthening the autonomy of squads to incorporate research and validation into their development routines. SKILLS UX Research · Usability · ResearchOps · User-Centered Design · Facilitation · Mentoring · Training · Research Management · Interaction Design · Knowledge Management · Initiative Leadership METHODOLOGY & TECHNIQUES Usability testing · Product and service validation · User research · Task definition · Interaction observation · Systematization of findings · Sharing insights · Practical learning with multidisciplinary teams. PROCESS The initiative functioned as a bridge between UX Research and the squads, offering guidance so that the teams themselves could structure research sessions and transform the results into inputs for their product decisions. DELIVERABLES Program structuring and leadership · Support for squads in conducting tests · Methodological guidance · Training and mentoring · Dissemination of UX Research practices · Systematization and sharing of learnings · Support for product and service validation. IMPACT The initiative contributed to democratizing access to user research, expanding the ability of product teams to test hypotheses and validate solutions directly with their audience. More than a testing methodology, it acted as a mechanism for organizational maturity in UX, bringing research closer to the daily process of developing digital products. CONFIDENTIALITY For confidentiality reasons, the original name of the initiative, product names, specific results, internal metrics, or strategic information of the organization are not disclosed.
User experience & information architecture
