2018 - Today
Tera: Design Meets Strategy
Key achievements
40K+
students
since 2016
We increased from 200 students in 2018 to 40.000+ professionals impacted by our courses.
40%
growth after redesign
Within 6 months after the business model redesign in 2023 for a platform subscription
62%+
sales increase
on website
After the website redesign in 2025, the number of students enrolled goes up by week one.
4.6 of 5
customer
satisfaction
Followed by a retention rate 20% higher than the industry benchmarks in education
Great design happens when you build a great team. At Tera, we scaled impact from 200 to 40K students through design methods.
When I joined Tera, a Brazilian ed-tech, in 2016 as a professor for their inaugural design course, I didn’t anticipate it would become a defining chapter in my carreer journey. By 2018, I was leading the design team, tasked with transforming Tera’s digital experience and aligning design with business strategy.
Over the years, I built and mentored a high-performing design team and led important projects, embedded design as a strategic pillar of the company, contributing to measurable business growth. Under my leadership, Tera grew from 200 to 40,000 students, successfully pivoted from a tradicional in-loco operation to an online model during COVID-19, and launched a subscription-based platform that increased students enrollment by 40% while maintaining a retention rate 20% higher than industry benchmarks, demonstrating the effectiveness of our user-centric and business-aligned design approach.
These achievements were not just the result of strong design execution but of intentional leadership, cross-functional collaboration, and a culture of excellence.
Tera solution: 8 courses + live classes in a exclusive membership to prepare professional to create and led products
Learning Experience System (LXS): a platform created to promove a unique experience
Design-led initiatives that scaled Tera, improved sales, ensured resilience during COVID-19, and launched a thriving subscription model.
Key Projects: Driving Impact Through Design
Scaling Tera’s Website (2025): To support growth, we redesigned the website to improve membership sales and redefine the brand's digital presence. A design sprint with cross-functional teams led to a refined brand voice and visuals, an optimized purchase journey, and a narrative celebrating diversity. The results: a 62% increase in course sales and a 125% rise in qualified leads.
Pivoting to Online During COVID-19 (2020): In just 10 days, we transformed Tera’s in-person model into a fully online experience. Through rapid iteration, platform adaptation, and transparent communication, we ensured a seamless transition. Outcomes: 100% student retention, doubled enrollment within a year, and a scalable digital learning model.
Introducing a Subscription-Based Platform (2022-2023): To expand reach, we shifted to a subscription model, offering unlimited course access. We redesigned the student journey, balanced discoverability with personalization, and integrated live sessions in the experience. The impact: a 40% increase in active subscriptions, higher student engagement, and a scalable, sustainable revenue model.
Tera Festival & Digital Product Week: These annual marketing events positioned Tera as a thought leader in digital education in Brazil, generating brand awareness and high-quality leads. By curating insightful talks, interactive sessions, and strategic networking opportunities, we strengthened Tera’s market presence and reinforced its product vision.
Each of these initiatives showcased design’s role in driving strategic business decisions, reinforcing the importance of a user-centered, data-informed approach.
Team Values
Honesty
Transparent communication, feedback, and psychological safety were non-negotiable. I cultivated a culture where open dialogues led to better results and team alignment.
Intention
Design decisions were never arbitrary. I ensured every initiative was grounded in user insights, business strategy, and a clear problem-solving approach.
Collaboration
I advocated cross-functional integration, positioning design as an active contributor to product, marketing, and leadership discussions.
Craft
Excellence in execution mattered as much as strategic thinking. I nurtured a team that balanced high-caliber creativity with real-world impact aiming business results.
Strong values—honesty, intention, collaboration, and craft—turn design teams into strategic drivers of business success.
Leadership: Values as the Foundation
Strong leadership is rooted in clear values that shape decision-making, team dynamics, and impact. I built Tera’s design team around honesty, intention, collaboration, and craft—ensuring transparency, strategic thinking, cross-functional alignment, and high-quality execution. These principles fostered a culture of trust, empowered designers to make informed decisions, and elevated design as a strategic driver of business success.
Culture, Processes, and Approach:
Design thrives in a culture where strategy and creativity go hand in hand. At Tera, I cultivated an environment of continuous feedback, data-driven insights, and open communication, ensuring that the team remained engaged, motivated, and aligned with business objectives.
Our processes were designed to enable—not restrict—creativity, balancing structured workflows with the flexibility to iterate and innovate. Design critiques, retrospectives, and seamless collaboration across teams helped maintain high execution standards while keeping the team agile.
Beyond execution, I positioned design as a strategic business partner, ensuring it influenced product direction, branding, and growth initiatives. By embedding this mindset, design became a key driver of business success rather than an isolated function.
My Role:
Head of Design, Staff Product Designer, Creative Director.
Special Thanks:
Daniel Prata, Giulia Yosue, Giovanna Gomes, Anaísa Ferreira, Camila Roma, André Chou, Gleise Arruda, Theo Nery, André Senna and Neia Santos.
Duration:
2018 - Today
Key Achievements:
Built and scaled a design team that drove strategic impact across Tera's digital transformation.
Led the redesign of Tera's website, achieving a 62% increase in sales and improved diversity metrics.
Directed the seamless transition to a fully online learning model during the COVID-19 crisis, retaining 100% of students and increasing enrollment by 20%.
Designed and launched a subscription-based platform, growing student subscriptions by 40% within six months.
Conceptualized and executed visually compelling marketing events for Tera Festival and Digital Product Week, establishing them as the company’s leading lead-generation tools.
Advocated for inclusive design practices, resulting in increased accessibility and representation in Tera’s branding and student base.
Fostered a design-driven culture by aligning design processes with business goals, influencing leadership decisions, and promoting cross-functional collaboration.
Conclusion:
Leading design at Tera was about more than managing projects. It was about shaping a vision, empowering a team, and driving business impact through thoughtful design leadership. By embedding strong values, fostering a high-performance culture, and ensuring that design was deeply integrated into the company’s strategy, I helped Tera navigate major transformations and achieve sustainable growth.
This experience reaffirmed my belief that when design leadership is intentional, values-driven, and strategically aligned, it doesn’t just improve products. it elevates entire organizations.