Building the UI UX team from scratch and connecting design decisions to business growth
Problem
A fast growing company scaling without UX processes, clear ownership, or data driven decisions, causing rework, inefficiency, and hidden conversion losses.
Solution
A gradual and pragmatic approach that proved UX value through real delivery, improving collaboration, clarity, and speed before formalizing structure or processes.
Results
Team
My role
UI UX Designer
Process definition, team structuring, and connection between UX and business metrics
Timeline
Feb '22 - Dez '25 (≈ 4 years)
Summery
This project represents the creation of the UI UX team from scratch at Vitabe, a fast growing beauty and wellness company, over a three year period. When I started, the company was about two years old and strongly focused on sales and customer acquisition, with no formal design processes applied to its digital products.
I initially joined as a visual designer, working mainly on marketing, paid media, and printed materials. In the digital environment, there were no UX processes, no user research, and no clear usability standards. Interfaces were created based on visual references and delivered as static files, which led to misalignment, rework, and low operational efficiency.
Over time, I took ownership of structuring the UI UX area, connecting design decisions to business metrics, and building a clear bridge between technology, performance, and product. This evolution happened gradually, respecting the company maturity level and strategic priorities.
Problem
As the operation scaled, the limitations of the existing model became clear. Teams worked in silos, decisions were made without behavioral data, and conversion and journey issues accumulated without a clear understanding of cause and effect.
From the developers perspective, unclear deliverables led to different interpretations, constant rework, and longer delivery times. From the business side, the focus remained on acquisition, while inefficiencies in the purchase experience directly impacted conversion, retention, and profitability.
The challenge was to introduce UI UX into a low design maturity environment without imposing heavy processes, disrupting existing workflows, or slowing down execution, while clearly proving value in a practical and measurable way.
Solution
The solution did not start with a large framework, but with a simple strategic decision. Solve a real team problem first and use that success to change how design was perceived.
In a specific page creation request, I changed the delivery approach. Instead of static files, I built the project using a tool focused on flows, components, and collaboration with developers. This immediately improved clarity, reduced friction, and increased delivery speed.
From that moment on, UI UX began to be seen as a driver of efficiency and results, not just a visual layer. The strategy was to build credibility through real impact before formalizing any structure.
Process
Even without a formal leadership role at the beginning, I naturally took ownership of the UI UX area in a hands-on way. I structured clearer handoff flows with devs, defined minimum delivery standards, and introduced usability and journey criteria into interface decisions.
As demand grew, the area evolved step by step. First with the support of another designer, then with a professional focused on growth, and later with developers working closely with the UX team. This significantly reduced the time between decision and execution.
Processes were built incrementally. A lightweight design system focused on consistency and speed. Regular AB testing with documented hypotheses. Use of heatmaps, session recordings, and click analysis to support decisions. Close collaboration with the performance team to prioritize initiatives based on metrics such as conversion, average order value, retention, and LTV.
Every decision considered the company stage, avoiding unnecessary complexity and focusing on short and mid term impact.
Results
ResultsStructuring the UI UX area had a direct impact on efficiency and business results. Rework was reduced by 37% and execution time decreased by 57%, driven by clearer deliverables, better documentation, and stronger alignment between teams.
Continuous improvements to the purchase experience contributed to higher conversion, improved retention, and more efficient paid media investment, increasing both revenue and profitability.
This set of initiatives helped position the company main product as the best selling collagen in Brazil, in a highly competitive market.
-57%
Task execution time
-33%
Technical rework
Key Learnings
Leading UX in low maturity environments requires strong context awareness, pragmatism, and focus on real impact. Processes only add value when they solve real problems.
UX becomes stronger when it is directly connected to business metrics and starts guiding strategic decisions, not just visual outputs.
Building a UI UX area is less about formal structure and more about creating trust, alignment, and consistent results over time.