YDUQS

YDUQS: A Brazilian holding company transforming higher education, serving over 750,000 students across multiple institutions.

Goal: Create user-friendly and engaging digital experiences. These should encourage students to adopt the tools, improve their learning, and maintain consistency on both app and desktop platforms.

Challenge: Start an app that will use the same wireframe and design system for various distance learning higher education institutions.

Action: I was the second UI Designer on the new "App do Aluno" team. We had four designers until the end, working together to update the app's legacy. This work involved contributions from the Engineering and Product teams.

Result: After launch, there has been an increase of over 60% in the number of app downloads. In under 3 years, the app has become a must-have for users. It greatly improves the payment process, whether using PIX or a bank slip.

Work performed: UX/UI, Prototype, Design Planning, Design Delivery.

Before joining the company

Here’s how it looked
before the 2021 update.

In this 1st version, the CTA buttons led students to the desktop platform. This meant the app had to include its own pages or embed the platform within it. This need demanded significant time and dedication from the research team, which was still in its early stages.

The Outcome

When the pandemic concluded in 2021, higher education underwent a significant transformation. Online learning created opportunities for innovative EdTech initiatives, and YDUQS seized this chance.

YDUQS launched the new app at the same time as the Design System. That was when I joined as a UI designer, and I began working on the app within the first six months, becoming an integral part of every phase and initiative. Here’s why:

The team marked the launch with impressive operational growth. In the first semester, over 40% of students used the app, and the download rate surpassed 60%.

I took great pride in witnessing such rapid adoption, which underscored the importance of learning through development. I saw the company as a true learning lab, driven by designers and developers committed to progress.

Post-Launch App Usage (%)

After joined the company

Here’s how it looks
after the 2021 update.

I'm always prod to tell this story: We saw the app's positive impact on students' daily routines. In an interview, a 35-year-old mother shared that she used the app for her studies and tests. She didn’t have a computer. At the same time, she cared for her autistic child. This highlights our solution's importance for diverse users.

Interactive
Calendar

Project: A calendar that displays the current month, including weeks and weekday labels, and allows navigation to previous and next months within the current semester (January–June or July–December).

We initiated a rigorous sequence of workshops, stakeholder recommendations, and preliminary studies to scope the research. Early drafts prioritized functional flows over visual fidelity.

After incorporating research feedback, we expanded the benchmark and refined the drafts, with engineering continuously assessing quick wins and defining the synchronization model for per‑student exams, coursework, and subjects by term across the five institutions.

This hand-sketched draft emerged as the most effective approach and was approved, consolidating the interface into three tabs: "Day | Month | Year."

Yes, that was the key. The calendar was widely praised by leadership and by users who rely on it to stay on top of their schedules.

  • Calendar Prototype

  • Finance Department

  • Onboarding Process

  • Usability Evaluation - Presentation

  • Polo Map

  • Padding Measurement

Próximo

Decathlon