Summary
Project: Website redesign for Descomplica’s Postgraduate program (Jun–Aug 2021)
Goals: Enhance the shopping experience and position Descomplica as a top-tier graduate education provider.
Role: Sole UX Designer leading desk research, benchmarking, wireframing, prototyping, and log analysis. Collaborated with developers, a UX writer, and an outsourced usability testing team.
Goals: Enhance the shopping experience and position Descomplica as a top-tier graduate education provider.
Role: Sole UX Designer leading desk research, benchmarking, wireframing, prototyping, and log analysis. Collaborated with developers, a UX writer, and an outsourced usability testing team.
Process: Desk research, benchmarking, wireframes, prototyping, usability testing, development, A/B testing, and continuous optimization.
Results:
Results:
• 23% increase in direct sales conversion rates.
• 35% increase in booking rates.
• 17% increase in lead capture rates.
Gif from the redesigned mobile website.
Gif from the redesigned desktop website.
Project Context
Descomplica is Brazil’s largest EdTech and one of Latin America’s fastest-growing startups. After raising $84 million to expand its higher education offerings, the company launched a Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) team dedicated to improving the Postgraduate program’s website.
As the sole UX designer on this team, I collaborated with developers, a UX writer, and team leaders to redesign the website. The project focused on streamlining user flows, optimizing the shopping experience, and aligning branding updates with user needs.
Key constraint: The checkout system had significant limitations (e.g., no “add to cart” feature), requiring some functionalities to be added later by other teams.
"We want to build Brazil's largest university and rapidly reach 1 million students through an entirely digital model." — CEO at Descomplica
Process Overview
1. Research
• Analyzed previous internal research and industry reports.
• Reviewed user complaints on “Reclame Aqui” (Brazil’s popular review site).
• Conducted a competitive benchmark of education and e-commerce platforms.
2. Ideation
• Designed wireframes and prototypes for both desktop and mobile.
• Incorporated feedback from leadership and usability testing.
3. Testing
• Collaborated with an outsourced team to conduct 27 usability tests (desktop and mobile).
• Iterated prototypes based on insights.
4. Implementation
• Developed the website with branding updates and new user-friendly features.
• Conducted A/B tests to validate the redesign’s impact on conversion rates.
Desk Research
Due to limited resources for primary research, we analyzed existing company data, Nielsen Norman Group reports on improving user experience for higher education and e-commerce websites, and customer complaints on Reclame Aqui (Brazil’s leading review platform). Below are key findings from this desk research, which informed decisions in the next project stages:
Previous Research
• People enroll in Descomplica’s postgraduate courses to gain knowledge, secure a raise, change jobs, or switch careers.
• Descomplica stands out for its affordability and accessible online courses compared to competitors.
• The majority of students come from lower-income backgrounds.
• Descomplica stands out for its affordability and accessible online courses compared to competitors.
• The majority of students come from lower-income backgrounds.
Report showing data from current Descomplica Postgraduate students.
Reports and Guidelines for Higher Education Websites
• Clearly display the university’s identity on every page, especially if there are subsites or affiliated departments.
• Ensure users can easily find a list of majors and programs.
• Highlight the institution’s strengths and achievements.
• Include information on job placement after graduation.
• Avoid prioritizing a “cool” design at the expense of usability.
• Ensure users can easily find a list of majors and programs.
• Highlight the institution’s strengths and achievements.
• Include information on job placement after graduation.
• Avoid prioritizing a “cool” design at the expense of usability.
Article about University Websites from the Nielsen Norman Group.
Report and Guidelines for eCommerce
• Address user questions clearly.
• Enable quick product comparisons.
• Offer honest reviews.
• Simplify the payment process.
• Reduce interaction costs.
• Enable quick product comparisons.
• Offer honest reviews.
• Simplify the payment process.
• Reduce interaction costs.
Article about eCommerce product pages from the Nielsen Norman Group.
Frequent Customer Complaints
• Issues receiving certificates.
• Problems accessing a second course in combo purchases.
• Problems accessing a second course in combo purchases.
Print from Reclame Aqui's website to where complaints about Descomplica were posted (the most popular website for product/service public reviews in Brazil)
Benchmark
After completing desk research, we conducted benchmarking by analyzing websites of direct competitors and leading companies in the education market. This helped us identify similarities and differences with Descomplica, determining key references. We evaluated sitemaps, navigation flows (homepage to course page), course content, and brand applications.
Prints from reference companies in the education market (Masterclass, Udemy, Coursera, Skillshare, Ebac.)
Sitemap & Wireframes
After desk research and benchmarking, we defined the sitemap and created wireframes and prototypes.
The process was reviewed by design and marketing leaders. Feedback and hypotheses were documented, with some incorporated immediately, while more complex or user-conflicting suggestions were added to the backlog for future analysis.
Once mobile and desktop wireframes were approved, I designed prototypes in Figma. These prototypes were tested for usability, and insights from the tests were used to refine the website before implementation.
The sitemap shows the site pages and connections: Homepage, Category Page, Course Page, Search Page, and About Page. For new customers, the main action is to find a course and buy it. A second one is to fill out a form to become a lead. For those who are already a postgraduate student, the main action is to access the platform.
Lo-Fi desktop wireframes showing possible sections and orders on each page of the site.
Branding Updates
IThe new website included UX/UI updates along with refreshed branding assets, including a redesigned logo, updated background colors, and new photography sets.
Examples of updated branding assets: logo, neutral colors (dark background) and brand promotional photos.
Prototypes
Desktop Prototype
Click the top-right corner of the embedded window to view the desktop prototype in full screen.
Click the top-right corner of the embedded window to view the desktop prototype in full screen.
Mobile PrototypeClick the top-right corner of the embedded window to view the mobile prototype in full screen. If the desktop prototype appears, switch to the mobile version using the menu on the left.
Usability Tests
The usability tests were conducted by NewUse, an outsourced UX research company. I reviewed the work to ensure that research objectives, scripts, recruitment, and interviews met our expectations. A total of 27 tests were conducted using the following methodology and sample:
• Initial interview, usability test with free navigation, and final interview
• 15 tests on desktop + 12 on mobile
• Age groups: 22-24 (25%), 25-34 (50%), 35-44 (25%)
• Gender: 60% women, 40% men
• All participants from Class C or D (lower class)
• Interested in enrolling in online postgraduate courses in Law, Engineering, Health, Technology, Management, Education, and/or Marketing
• Initial interview, usability test with free navigation, and final interview
• 15 tests on desktop + 12 on mobile
• Age groups: 22-24 (25%), 25-34 (50%), 35-44 (25%)
• Gender: 60% women, 40% men
• All participants from Class C or D (lower class)
• Interested in enrolling in online postgraduate courses in Law, Engineering, Health, Technology, Management, Education, and/or Marketing
Participants were encouraged to share their thoughts and opinions during the tasks, with interviewers clarifying that they were not Descomplica employees and that the tests focused solely on the prototype/website.
Outcomes
The usability tests revealed several opportunities for improvement, summarized below:
• Key Decision Factors: Users prioritize price and course content, followed by class format, Ministry of Education recognition, former students’ opinions, and course duration. The institution’s prestige was deemed less important.
• Course-Specific Reviews: Users noted the absence of reviews for individual courses, as Descomplica only has institutional testimonials.
• Offline Access: Users expressed the importance of being able to “Download classes to watch offline,” especially for commuters.
• Platform Experience: Users wanted a clearer understanding of the learning experience—how to access classes, class format, and assessments.
• Course Syllabus Form: Most users were uncomfortable with filling out a form to access the course syllabus.
• Payment Methods: Some users missed having additional payment options.
The insights gathered were used to refine the prototypes. Some suggestions, particularly regarding the checkout process (new payment methods, multi-course checkout), were added to the backlog for future updates. The request to access course programs without a form was deferred, as it impacts lead capture, and will be revisited post-project completion.
Average Test Score
9/10
Average score given by the test participants
User Feedback
• “It’s very intuitive, but I think it could have more information.”
• “I would highlight the duration of the course.”
• “I like the design, big buttons, and easy navigation. However, I didn’t like having to register to see the Course Program.”
• “It’s very intuitive, but I think it could have more information.”
• “I would highlight the duration of the course.”
• “I like the design, big buttons, and easy navigation. However, I didn’t like having to register to see the Course Program.”
Proposals
Based on the usability test outcomes, we designed new sections to address user needs:
Motivation for Career Growth
A new section displays national average salaries for the relevant profession, along with state-specific salaries after the user completes the personal data form.
A new section displays national average salaries for the relevant profession, along with state-specific salaries after the user completes the personal data form.
Motivation for Acquiring New Knowledge
In collaboration with the pedagogical team, we added a summarized checklist of course learnings
In collaboration with the pedagogical team, we added a summarized checklist of course learnings
Catering to Lower-Income Students
Based on feedback, we replaced some English terms with Portuguese expressions:
• Onboarding → ‘Course Introduction’
• Coach → ‘Professional Support’
• Checkout → ‘Carrinho’ (Cart)
• Onboarding → ‘Course Introduction’
• Coach → ‘Professional Support’
• Checkout → ‘Carrinho’ (Cart)
Clear University Identification
We removed partner university logos from the header to prioritize Descomplica’s brand.
We removed partner university logos from the header to prioritize Descomplica’s brand.
Easy Access to Course List
We added a dropdown menu on desktop and a lateral menu on mobile for course categories. A course categories section was also placed prominently on the homepage after the hero section.
We added a dropdown menu on desktop and a lateral menu on mobile for course categories. A course categories section was also placed prominently on the homepage after the hero section.
Simplified Course Syllabus AccessAn accordion was added to display course modules. However, full implementation was delayed due to the institution’s lead generation strategy that requires users to fill a form to access the full syllabus.
Highlighting Achievements
A new section emphasizes:
• Courses certified by the Ministry of Education
• Over 100,000 postgraduate students
• Recognition by Fast Company as one of the most innovative companies
A new section emphasizes:
• Courses certified by the Ministry of Education
• Over 100,000 postgraduate students
• Recognition by Fast Company as one of the most innovative companies
Honest Reviews
Due to a lack of course-specific reviews and concerns about conversion rates, we designed a section for general institutional reviews, sourced from external platforms (e.g., Google Reviews, Reclame Aqui).
Due to a lack of course-specific reviews and concerns about conversion rates, we designed a section for general institutional reviews, sourced from external platforms (e.g., Google Reviews, Reclame Aqui).
Some proposals may differ from the current site, as I am no longer part of the team.
Development, Launch and A/B Testing
Development
After implementing adjustments based on usability test data, the development team adapted and simplified several components to meet deadlines. All changes are being gradually rolled out.
After implementing adjustments based on usability test data, the development team adapted and simplified several components to meet deadlines. All changes are being gradually rolled out.
A/B Testing
We ran a test comparing the ‘previous design’ with the ‘new design’ (50/50 split). Results after a few weeks showed the ‘new design’ performed better:
• Direct sales conversion rate ↑ 23%
• Booking rates ↑ 35%
• Lead capture rate ↑ 17%
• Booking rates ↑ 35%
• Lead capture rate ↑ 17%
Direct sales conversion rate
↑23%
Bookings rates increased
↑35%
Ongoing Optimization
Following the A/B testing and official launch, the CRO team began new tests, refining hypotheses and analyzing data from log analyses. Ongoing optimization efforts are detailed in this portfolio.
