CLIC Platform Redesign

Transforming a Regional Educational Platform for 52,000+ Users Across LATAM

Led the strategic redesign of CLIC, serving 52K users across Latin America. Created complete design system from scratch, navigated presidential change that invalidated brand guidelines mid-project, coordinated stakeholders across 3 continents.

UX Designer
Product Strategist

Supervisora, Product Owner,
Developer, International vendors

2 years

+52k

Users across LATAM impacted

-50%

Reduction in task steps

30%

Faster development

+4

Months saved during crisis

The Challenge

A 4-year project stuck in bureaucracy, confusing vendors, and a platform needing complete transformation.

Context

The Inter-American Development Bank had been developing CLIC for 4+ years. When I joined as the only UX specialist, I found a product stuck: external vendors delivering confusing solutions, bureaucratic constraints delaying decisions, pandemic adding more delays.

Complexity

Multicultural project (teams in multiple countries, vendors in Russia and Spain), multi-level stakeholders (Brand, Legal, Education), strict IDB institutional constraints. Midway through, the bank’s president changed, invalidating all brand guidelines I was working with.

UX Diagnosis: Identifying the Chaos

I conducted complete audit using usability heuristics and user flow evaluation. Three critical problems emerged:

Dashboard Overloaded with Irrelevant Features

The Problem: Home was like Facebook: friend updates, peer validations, social section. Distracted from main purpose (validate skills, create portfolios).

Why it exist: Originally validations had two sources: tests AND peer validation. Social feature built around second path.

My Decision: Simplified dashboard: only critical info (available tests, quick access to portfolio/CV). Eliminated social validations, friend updates, activity feeds.

Impact: Users reached main functions 2 clicks faster.

Redesign Information Architecture

The Problem: “Create portfolio” flow was backwards. System thought each project had own portfolio. Correct logic: portfolio contains projects.

My Solution: Redesigned so portfolio is main container. Projects added within it.

Flow AFTER (2 steps): Portfolio → Create project

Impact: 50% reduction in steps. Lower cognitive load.

Generalized Visual Inconsistency

The Problem:

Icons from different families
Buttons without hierarchies
Elements misaligned to IDB/CLIC brand
Confusing menu
No UI Kit or design system

Why it exist: 4 years, different vendors, no design governance, no unified vision.

My Solution: Created complete design system from scratch, aligned to IDB guidelines and CLIC identity.

Impact: 100% platform consistency. 30% faster development. Scalable foundation.

THE CRITICAL MOMENT

Navigating a Presidential Change Mid-Project

Before The Change:

¾ of design system completed
20 components with variations
Typography, colors, iconography defined
All based on previous IDB brand

The Crisis:

Presidential change invalidated brand
Months of uncertainty
Risk of losing 6+ months of work

My Strategy:

Worked on brand-independent elements
Built components modularly for quick updates
Got unofficial access to new brand info
Prepared documentation structure

Result

When new guidelines arrived:

Adapted critical sections in 2 months
Would have taken 6+ months if idle
Net savings: 4 months

"Not everything depends on brand. Information architecture, user flows, and interaction logic are independent of colors and typography. Working in layers maintained momentum in extreme uncertainty."

Design System: From Chaos to Scalability

The Problem

Without UI Kit or design system, each new feature required:

My Solution

Created a complete design system in Figma with:

20+ core components with all variations
Buttons (4 variants with states)
Inputs and forms (8 types)
Cards (6 variants)
Tables, grids, modals
Written guidelines for each component
Technical specifications for developers

Innovation: Templates for Scalability

Identified 4 question types in evaluations. Instead of designing 45+ individually, created 4 reusable templates.

30%
faster

20+
components

4
templates

Navigating Restrictions: Legal, Privacy & Compliance

The Conflict

As UX Designer, needed user behavior data (analytics). Proposed Google Analytics, Hotjar.

Blocked by Legal

Completely rejected. Platform could have underage users. GDPR, minor protection regulations, and IDB policies prohibited tracking without explicit consent.

My Solution

"Accept restrictions not as obstacles, but as part of the context. Privacy by design is non-negotiable in products for youth in governmental institutions."

The Conflict

Needed user info for personalization. Legal blocked fields.

Blocked

My Solution

Principle: Minimum necessary data.

Research in Real Context: Tests in Colombia

Coordinated usability tests with 10 students in Colombia. Challenge: international vendor (Russia), users in Colombia, IDB team across countries.

Cognitive Overload

Discovery: Students took 30+ min per test. High mental load.

Action: Reviewed structure, reduced redundancies, simplified.

Low Connectivity Reality

Discovery: Constant low-quality internet. Platform slow, frustrating.

Insight: Even young users weren’t as digital as assumed. Digital divide is real.

Action: Radical optimization. Reduced weight, progressive loading, designed for 3G.

Language & Regionalization

Problem: How to call professional document in LATAM?

Mexico: Currículum | Colombia: Hoja de vida | Argentina: CV

Decision: Use most generic term + tooltips.

Additionally: Tropicalized test content for LATAM.

"Designing for worst-case ensures it works for everyone."

My Real Role: Beyond 'UX Designer'

On paper: UX Designer. In practice:

📊

Product Strategist

What I did:

Prioritized features using impact/effort matrix
Defined what launched and what was discarded
Made product decisions based on research and constraints

Impact: Eliminated features (social section) to focus on 3 main functions, launch on time.

🏗️

UX Architect

What I did:

Redefined information architecture.
Designed end-to-end flows.
Created wireframes, prototypes.

Impact: 50% reduction in task steps.

🎨

Design Systems Lead

What I did:

Created system from scratch.
Documented guidelines for devs.
Maintained governance.

Impact: 30% faster dev, scalable foundation.

🔍

UX Research Lead

What I did:

Designed research strategy.
Coordinated international tests.
Synthesized insights into decisions.

Impact: Product adapted to real LATAM context.

🌍

Multicultural Facilitator

What I did:

Coordinated multi-country stakeholders.
Aligned Brand, Legal, Dev.
Negotiated with vendors.

Impact: Project moved despite bureaucracy.

"Designing for worst-case ensures it works for everyone."

Stack Tech

Stack definido para equilibrar experiencia de usuario, restricciones legales y viabilidad técnica.

Figma

Prototyping

Miro

User-flows

Tailwind CSS

CSS Framework

Drupal

Integration

Impact & Results

Metric	Before	After	✅ Improvement
Active users	0 (at launch)	52,000+ LATAM	Growth from 0
Task steps	4 steps (portfolio)	2 steps	-50% reduction
Dev speed	Slow, inconsistent	With design system	+30% faster
Components	0	20+ variations	Scalable
Crisis savings	—	Brand change	4 months

Key Learnings

Working in Uncertainty with Modular Strategy

When IDB president changed, branding in limbo. Learned not everything depends on visuals.
Lesson: Separate work into layers (architecture, flows, logic) allows progress when other variables blocked.

Real Context Defines Design

Colombia tests revealed limited connectivity, less digital than expected.
Lesson: Design for real context, not ideal. If 30% have 3G, optimize for 3G.

Radical Prioritization Unlocks Launches

Eliminating complete features was controversial but necessary.
Lesson: Not everything that can be built should be. Focus on 3 main functions excellently.

Multicultural Coordination Requires Over-Communication

Teams in Russia, Spain, Colombia, Washington taught clarity is kindness.
Lesson: Document exhaustively, repeat context, confirm understanding explicitly.

Role Is Defined by What Project Needs

Title was 'UX Designer', did product strategy, research lead, systems, coordination.
Lesson: Responsibilities expand where gaps exist. Assume role if you have capacity.