Summary
Summary
Listed on the Brazilian stock exchange (B3: CASH3), Méliuz became the first startup in the country to go public. In 2021, the company launched a new app combining financial services, shopping, and cashback , marking the beginning of its evolution into a super app.
Since then, I’ve led the product design of this transformation, creating end-to-end experiences across loyalty programs, credit cards, financial journeys, and shopping flows. I’ve worked closely with product, growth, and engineering teams to bring this vision to life.
Listed on the Brazilian stock exchange (B3: CASH3), Méliuz became the first startup in the country to go public. In 2021, the company launched a new app combining financial services, shopping, and cashback , marking the beginning of its evolution into a super app.
Since then, I’ve led the product design of this transformation, creating end-to-end experiences across loyalty programs, credit cards, financial journeys, and shopping flows. I’ve worked closely with product, growth, and engineering teams to bring this vision to life.
R$ 365M
2024 annaul revenue
67%
Revenue through the app
41M
Users on the plataform
The challenge
The challenge
Before launching its digital account, Méliuz had already established itself in Brazil as a leading cashback platform. Most users engaged with the service through the app and website, especially on desktop. While the app existed, it wasn’t yet at the center of the experience. After each purchase, users would simply withdraw their confirmed cashback to external bank accounts, and that was the end of their journey with us.
In 2021, the company began a full transformation, shifting from a shopping-focused brand into a fintech. Alongside this shift came a complete rebranding: new visual identity, new tone of voice, and a new strategic direction. The challenge was clear: create an experience that blended shopping and personal finance, unifying business fronts and increasing the app’s share of company revenue. We set out to turn Méliuz into a true financial ecosystem, one that would deepen user relationships, boost retention, and attract new users through a seamless, mobile-first experience.
Before launching its digital account, Méliuz had already established itself in Brazil as a leading cashback platform. Most users engaged with the service through the app and website, especially on desktop. While the app existed, it wasn’t yet at the center of the experience. After each purchase, users would simply withdraw their confirmed cashback to external bank accounts, and that was the end of their journey with us.
In 2021, the company began a full transformation, shifting from a shopping-focused brand into a fintech. Alongside this shift came a complete rebranding: new visual identity, new tone of voice, and a new strategic direction. The challenge was clear: create an experience that blended shopping and personal finance, unifying business fronts and increasing the app’s share of company revenue. We set out to turn Méliuz into a true financial ecosystem, one that would deepen user relationships, boost retention, and attract new users through a seamless, mobile-first experience.
Outcome
Outcome
We set the vision, researched deeply, and designed an end-to-end experience that helped scale the app from 6 to 41 million users. It became the 7th most downloaded shopping app in Brazil and now drives 67% of Méliuz’s R$365M in annual revenue.
Our strategy was to make the app the only place to access financial services, creating seamless conversion points at key moments of the journey. This allowed us to guide users into onboarding naturally, increase engagement, and lay the foundation for Méliuz’s evolution into a full financial platform.
We set the vision, researched deeply, and designed an end-to-end experience that helped scale the app from 6 to 41 million users. It became the 7th most downloaded shopping app in Brazil and now drives 67% of Méliuz’s R$365M in annual revenue.
Our strategy was to make the app the only place to access financial services, creating seamless conversion points at key moments of the journey. This allowed us to guide users into onboarding naturally, increase engagement, and lay the foundation for Méliuz’s evolution into a full financial platform.
My Role
My Role
My main challenge was to scale design beyond the shopping experience and into financial services, all withing six months, while building a high-performing team and embedding design into the product strategy. I collaborated daily with Product Designers, Enginners, Product Managers, Growth and Product Marketing to shape the entire product development process, from discovery to delivery.
My main challenge was to scale design beyond the shopping experience and into financial services, all withing six months, while building a high-performing team and embedding design into the product strategy. I collaborated daily with Product Designers, Enginners, Product Managers, Growth and Product Marketing to shape the entire product development process, from discovery to delivery.
✅ Align product and design strategy with stakeholders
Align product and design strategy with stakeholders
✅ Create visual concepts for what Méliuz could become in the future
Create visual concepts for what Méliuz could become in the future
✅ Led early-stage user research and interviews to explore needs and pain points
Led early-stage user research and interviews to explore needs and pain points
✅ Worked hands-on as a Product Designer, crafting flows, wireframes and final UI
Worked hands-on as a Product Designer, crafting flows, wireframes and final UI
✅ Empower the design team and promote shared knowledge
Empower the design team and promote shared knowledge
✅ Managed a team of 12 designers working across multiple products verticals
Managed a team of 12 designers working across multiple products verticals
Research
Research
I started the project working closely with the CEO, a Group Product Manager, and another Senior Designer. We kicked off our UX research to better understand who our users were, their income range, geographic distribution, financial habits, primary banks, perception of Méliuz entering the financial space, and how they used our app in their daily lives.
We conduced both qualitative interviews and unmoderated testes through online forms. The insights allowed us to identify clear behavior patterns and uncover opportunities to improve key product flows.
I started the project working closely with the CEO, a Group Product Manager, and another Senior Designer. We kicked off our UX research to better understand who our users were, their income range, geographic distribution, financial habits, primary banks, perception of Méliuz entering the financial space, and how they used our app in their daily lives.
We conduced both qualitative interviews and unmoderated testes through online forms. The insights allowed us to identify clear behavior patterns and uncover opportunities to improve key product flows.
Ideation & Concept
Ideation & Concept
Together with Cris Landa (Designer), I led the UX foundation for Méliuz shopping and financial services experiences. We started by analyzing major players in shopping, cashback, and digital banking to identify patterns and approaches relevant to our context. This research surfaced key UI/UX practices in flows like online shopping, financial transactions, cash-in/out, and digital account onboarding, helping us shape a product experience tailored to our broad user base.
With the competitor analysis and initial concepts in place, we divided product areas across squads and began refining the ideas. At every stage, we validated our flows and screens with external users through perception and usability testing. We conducted over 40 interviews, sharing low to mid-fidelity prototypes and focusing on specific journeys for feedback.
These sessions uncovered critical improvements, including error scenarios we hadn’t mapped initially, that helped us design more resilient and intuitive flows. While some flows were still shipped with known issues (and later improved), the user insights were key to shaping a more solid product.
Together with Cris Landa (Designer), I led the UX foundation for Méliuz shopping and financial services experiences. We started by analyzing major players in shopping, cashback, and digital banking to identify patterns and approaches relevant to our context. This research surfaced key UI/UX practices in flows like online shopping, financial transactions, cash-in/out, and digital account onboarding, helping us shape a product experience tailored to our broad user base.
With the competitor analysis and initial concepts in place, we divided product areas across squads and began refining the ideas. At every stage, we validated our flows and screens with external users through perception and usability testing. We conducted over 40 interviews, sharing low to mid-fidelity prototypes and focusing on specific journeys for feedback.
These sessions uncovered critical improvements, including error scenarios we hadn’t mapped initially, that helped us design more resilient and intuitive flows. While some flows were still shipped with known issues (and later improved), the user insights were key to shaping a more solid product.
The concept
The concept
Once the designers were assigned to their respective squads, I led the effort to map all user flows across shopping and financial products. We organized a sprint focused on aligning the team and preparing for usability testing before full development.
I was responsible for guiding this structure while remaining fully hands-on, defining flows, supporting designers, and keeping our vision aligned across product, design, and business.
Once the designers were assigned to their respective squads, I led the effort to map all user flows across shopping and financial products. We organized a sprint focused on aligning the team and preparing for usability testing before full development.
I was responsible for guiding this structure while remaining fully hands-on, defining flows, supporting designers, and keeping our vision aligned across product, design, and business.
Testing, iteration & trade-offs
Testing, iteration & trade-offs
Over the course of two weeks, we conducted over 50 moderated usability tests via webcam, with a mix of internal and external users. These sessions helped us validate early concepts, identify usability issues, and iterate quickly.
While testing was already part of the culture inside product and design, I took the lead in evangelizing discovery and user-centered practices to other teams, ensuring alignment company-wide. As launch approached, timelines tightened. Not every flow could be tested, and we had to make tough trade-offs. But the foundation we built through early research gave us confidence to ship and a clear path for post-launch iteration.
Over the course of two weeks, we conducted over 50 moderated usability tests via webcam, with a mix of internal and external users. These sessions helped us validate early concepts, identify usability issues, and iterate quickly.
While testing was already part of the culture inside product and design, I took the lead in evangelizing discovery and user-centered practices to other teams, ensuring alignment company-wide. As launch approached, timelines tightened. Not every flow could be tested, and we had to make tough trade-offs. But the foundation we built through early research gave us confidence to ship and a clear path for post-launch iteration.
🚧 This is a high-level summary. Additional visuals and context will be added soon.
🚧 This is a high-level summary.
Additional visuals and context will be added soon.
Result & Impact
Result & Impact
In January 2021, we launched the MVP of the new Méliuz app to internal users and a small test group, around 1% of our customer base, totaling just over 100,000 users. Most core features were already developed, and the goal was to observe how users understood and interacted with the new financial journeys. We focused on identifying usability issues, areas for improvement, and unmapped edge cases in key flows like cash-in, cash-out, and account setup.
Since then, I’ve worked as a strategic bridge between Design, Product, and Business. I’ve led a team of 12 Product Designers across multiple squads and domains, including design system, loyalty program, credit card, e-commerce, digital banking, crypto, insurance, and financial investments.
In January 2021, we launched the MVP of the new Méliuz app to internal users and a small test group, around 1% of our customer base, totaling just over 100,000 users. Most core features were already developed, and the goal was to observe how users understood and interacted with the new financial journeys. We focused on identifying usability issues, areas for improvement, and unmapped edge cases in key flows like cash-in, cash-out, and account setup.
Since then, I’ve worked as a strategic bridge between Design, Product, and Business. I’ve led a team of 12 Product Designers across multiple squads and domains, including design system, loyalty program, credit card, e-commerce, digital banking, crypto, insurance, and financial investments.
R$ 365M
R$ 365M
2024 annaul revenue
67%
67%
Revenue through the app
41M
41M
Users on the plataform
Design System
Design System
Shopping
Shopping
Credit Card
Credit Card
Digital Bank
Digital Bank
Gift Card
Gift Card
Bitcoin
Bitcoin
