I've always been a creative/nerd person who likes technology and games. I learned how to assemble and repair PCs at 12 years old before I could even have my own computer. At the time, it was an expensive item for a large part of the population in Brazil. I used to go to friends' houses to have access to technology, and on one of these visits, I was introduced to Web Design, where our hobby was making sites for our favorite games on the FrontPage software.
I always like to connect the dots.
I got a scholarship for a web design and programming course, where I learned to develop ASP systems, animated Flash websites, and edit images in Photoshop.
In the early 2000s, there was a boom in cyber cafes in my city, which let me combine two things I loved: games and design. I made the vast majority of the websites of the cyber cafes in my neighborhood and installed scoreboards on servers in exchange for hours to be able to play Counter-Strike. At that time, e-sport became something relevant for me. I ended up being part of the design teams of significant news portals on this theme, such as Sogamed, Gotfrag, and MYM, where I worked remotely with the editorial team in Europe. And I created the first e-sports podcast in my country, sponsored by Samsung.
Choosing a college was not a difficult task. I knew it would be digital design. I was fortunate with my college professors; they set up the first interaction design institute in Brazil, Faber Ludens. And topics like usability, user research, information architecture, and interaction design were part of my routine, and everything was very fresh at the time.
I was also lucky to join a good company quickly. I joined Mídia Digital (JWT Group), one of the leading digital agencies of the time, as an intern in information architecture and usability. This experience was perfect for me. I solved problems across several industries in many different ways, from interactive websites for advertising campaigns to complex retail management systems.
As my career progressed, I reached a point where I could start an international career or open my own digital products studio. I chose the second option and co-founded HUNA, where I spent seven years as partner and lead product designer. Designing was always the easiest part of my day; I also had to learn HR, finance, and business administration. HUNA became known for solving complex problems for large companies in Brazil, such as Electrolux, Porto Seguro, and Ebanx.
In 2021 I joined Leads2b, a B2B SaaS CRM for small and medium businesses, first as Head of Design and, since 2023, as Head of Product & Design. There I lead product end to end: user research, product data analysis, discovery and delivery cycles, AI agents that prospect and qualify leads, and the Smart Badge, a hardware product with mobile and web apps.
I have been designing and leading teams of designers to deliver great experiences to people, society, and businesses. I believe we live in an age where the designer has to think beyond the projected artifact itself.
I specialized in cultural anthropology, which gave me a better understanding of the cultural context that we live in. And as a designer, I aim to create products that are meaningful to the life of each human being. Everything we design is impacting the way people live and interact with society. We can create digital artifacts that can generate anxiety, depression, digital addiction, and hate.
In every project, I try to inspire designers to think about the social impact of what we create. As a designer, we can mediate and improve the way people interact with the world.
And for me, at the end of the day, design needs to be about form, function, and culture.