PORTFOLIO
STRATEGY
SHAPING
Research for decision-making in tech
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USER EXPERIENCE
Agricultural knowledge base
PARTICIPATORY
RESEARCH
Field & photo diaries in rural communities
BEHAVIORAL
RESEARCH
Service design for a milling franchise
SYSTEMS THINKING
Systems in an arid island (the big picture)
Curious about the details?
Now that you've navigated through the menu, it's time to dive into the details of my projects and see what I've been working on.
PROJECT DETAILS
STRATEGY SHAPING
Research for decision-making
In my portfolio, you'll find descriptions for all projects except my experience at OutSystems, which remains confidential due to its recent nature. If you're curious about the exciting projects I worked on at this tech company, please contact me.
Working within product teams for over 5 years, and collaborating closely with other departments (e.g., Engineering, Sales, Customer Success, Marketing, and Management), I was involved in multiple initiatives such as Product Strategy, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Product-led Growth (PLG), Product Learnability, Shift-Left, and Future Anticipation.
Related videos: “Systems Thinking: Evaluation Blueprint”, and “Tracking UXR Impact”.
This is all that I can share for now. Meanwhile, please continue exploring the other projects where I've been involved—they're really cool!
USER EXPERIENCE (UX)
Agricultural knowledge base
The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) aimed to improve agricultural practices in up to 36 million hectares of land.
However, smallholder farmers couldn’t obtain reliable information to farm properly because field technicians struggled to provide appropriate guidance to them. Moreover, large-scale farmers and agro-dealers struggled to make informed choices, and other stakeholders faced difficulties in tracking and promoting project accomplishments.
To address these challenges, we embarked on a comprehensive initiative. Through extensive user and UX research, we created an agricultural knowledge base and subsequently developed a mobile app tailored to novice users.
Throughout the project, we continuously improved the knowledge base, making it more user-friendly. Users lauded its simplicity and effectiveness, describing it as "simple", "neat", and "useful”. As a result of our efforts, the demand for new seeds and better farming practices increased significantly, positively impacting the entire agricultural value chain.
Related video: “With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility”
PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH
Field & photo diaries
Across the world, efforts by entities aimed at helping people often fail due to the lack of "on-the-ground knowledge" about the communities in which they operate. To address this gap, we implemented field and photo diaries in multiple communities to give expression to what is important to people in their everyday lives.
For example, the Agro-Forestry Villages Program (TechnoServe) was generating a substantial amount of new employment in rural areas. Consequently, communities experienced small and big changes that were positive and negative. We identified those changes and performed program course corrections.
A notable case involved a deep-rooted rural community in northern Mozambique where the dam served as the only source of water. When a plant nursery was built near the dam, rumors spread that it would monopolize the water and restrict access for bathing and spiritual rituals.
Through the analysis of field and photo diaries, we were able to spot this imminent conflict. Consequently, we corrected the program to prevent conflict, reduce downtime, and identify new business opportunities.
BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH
Service design for a franchise
MMMills is Mozambique's first franchise in the staple food sector, providing valuable services of maize milling and hulling in rural communities as a much-needed alternative to the long and painful process of manual pounding. MMMills was facing strong competition from well-known home-based mills and needed to gain competitive advantages by improving the delivered service.
Therefore, we optimized the service by creating an enthusiastic environment that encourages staff and clients' creativity, and by providing appealing in-store experiences at an affordable price. Additionally, to co-develop new products and services to be sold at the mills, we created an Innovation Center.
Competitors were trusted community members, strongly influencing clients who favored unhealthy options due to cultural beliefs. With over 80% of locals being farmers and many abandoning their lands due to lack of buyers, we saw an opportunity. Enthusiasm was key to changing long-term behavior, and co-creating new products raised the sense of ownership among clients and staff.
By addressing these cultural challenges, MMMills successfully transformed dietary habits, improved nutritional intake, and supported local farmers, enhancing the overall economic stability of the communities.
SYSTEMS THINKING (BIG PICTURE)
Systems in an arid island
I conducted systemic and ethnographic research to identify problems and opportunities in São Vicente, an arid island in the Cape Verde archipelago. For four months, I immersed myself in the island's communities to comprehend their challenges comprehensively.
Residents in the periphery faced precarious living conditions, residing mostly in tin houses without running water. Through living amongst these communities as an ethnographer, I delved into their daily realities to grasp the nuances of their needs and aspirations.
Within this context, the scarcity of non-saline water emerged as one of the most pressing issues. Beyond the obvious challenges of water scarcity, the systemic research uncovered a myriad of interconnected problems, including high unemployment rates, youth gang conflicts, inefficient waste management, and clandestine housing.
The water-related challenges further exacerbated existing issues, with freshwater inaccessible and the local underground water saline. Residents resorted to arduous methods to procure water, often sacrificing basic sanitation practices due to the prohibitive cost and difficulty of obtaining freshwater.
Despite the difficulty in accessing freshwater, greywater — a resource often underutilized — was readily available. Leveraging the community's hands-on attitude and resourcefulness, we proposed a do-it-yourself water purification device tailored to suburban residents.
In essence, this project, led by Col'Or Onlus, embodied a holistic approach, encompassing not only the technical solution but also a deep understanding of the community's socio-economic and cultural dynamics.
PHOTOGRAPHY / GRAPHIC DESIGN
My artistic side
In addition to spotting and addressing problems/opportunities, I enjoy creating visual assets (e.g.: diagrams and illustrations) and photography.