Biometric verification ecosystem
End-to-end redesign of a legacy biometric identification system, from discovery to handoff, focused on reducing errors, rework and operation time.
(Due to NDA, frameworks such as As Is, CSD Matrix and desk research will be hidden)
Context & the operational pain
The biometric identification platform had a high rate of rework and support tickets, caused by a lack of clarity in the data capture and validation flow. The system exposed raw operational rules and generic error messages, leading operators and end users to recurring failures at the moment of validation.
Role
Product Designer
User research, Interaction, Visual Design, prototyping, validation, metrics & testing
January 2024 - 2026
Technical & Business Challenge
Architecture and product engineering decisions
Progressive Disclosure in Critical Flows
Instead of loading all biometric and document check data into a single dense panel, I restructured the journey into conditional steps. Users only see the data for the next validation level if the previous step has been approved in the backend.
Error communication and failure prevention
I replaced generic system error codes with real-time contextual feedback (e.g., lighting adjustment, capture framing, registration data inconsistency), reducing reliance on manual support.
Alignment with technical constraints
In partnership with Product Managers and Engineering, we adapted the data visualization component to reuse existing cache structures, ensuring the new visual design did not increase latency when loading records.
The process
Key findings
Discovery process
01 — Discovery
Understanding the product
Benchmark
Analysis of the existing flow
Heuristic analysis
Problem mapping
Conversations with stakeholders
02 — Definition
Current journey
Friction points
Hypotheses
Prioritization
03 — Design
Flow architecture
Wireframes
Feedback states
Taxonomy
Prototyping
04 — Validation
Testing
Feedback
Understanding the user's pain
Before proposing changes to the interface, I sought to understand the existing flow, its technical constraints and how the system was used day to day. I combined interviews and shadowing with usage data and product metrics to pinpoint where operators got stuck and prioritize what to redesign first.
Personas
Ronaldo, 38 years old
"The system freezes and sometimes we have to log in again every 5 minutes after searching for a citizen"
Motivations:
Wants to be agile
Inspiration to work
Spend less time
Frustrations:
System freezes
Lack of clarity
Flow is not consistent
Decisions & Trade-offs
Clarity x Complexity
We simplified the instructions shown to the user, avoiding exposing technical information that did not contribute to completing the task.
Security x Fluidity
We kept the steps needed to ensure identification, but reduced the cognitive load during their execution.
Feedback x Distraction
We used visual states to communicate progress and results without adding unnecessary elements, reducing the cognitive effort to perform the action.
Error x Recovery
Instead of only reporting that identification failed, the system started guiding the user on the next step.
After aligning decisions with Product and Engineering, we designed an experience focused on clarity, speed and security. Information was organized so that different audiences could understand the operation's result without unnecessary complexity, while preserving technical patterns already familiar to users.
We kept patterns and behaviors already known to users, but revised taxonomy, hierarchy and communication to create consistency across steps. I documented in the Design System the states, behaviors, micro-interactions and variations of the new components, with specifications aligned with front-end to ensure a smooth handoff.
I created a system that
Became intuitive and easy to access, bringing priority content to the top of the menu;
Product Impact & Operational Efficiency
Percentage values and sensitive data were masked or abstracted to comply with the NDA.
Reduced cognitive effort
+40%
faster search process, with fewer clicks in the system.
Operational efficiency
−55%
in search time per citizen throughout the day.
Financial impact
+3
state contracts signed after the redesign.
Learnings
What did I take away for my work?
This project reinforced for me that, in high-criticality products, simplicity doesn't mean removing information, but knowing how to prioritize it.
It was also an important experience to understand how different audiences can interpret the same information in different ways, and how the Product Designer's role is to turn that complexity into a clear, predictable and reliable experience.