CLIC Platform Redesign
Chatbot de Información sobre Aborto en Marco Legal Restrictivo
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.
- Role
UX Designer
Product Strategist
Product Strategist
- Team
Supervisora,
Product Owner, Developer, International vendors
- Timeline
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:
- Designing components from scratch
- Multiple iterations with development
- Visual inconsistencies generating bugs
- Wasted time on already-solved decisions
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.
- Dev team only fills info and replicates
- Tests averaged 50 questions per test
- 3 tests at launch, more added
- Scalability: New tests from weeks to days
30%
faster
faster
20+
components
components
4
templates
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
- Deeper qualitative research (in-person usability tests)
- Direct user feedback in structured sessions
- Collaboration with support teams to collect complaints/suggestions
- Prioritization based on heuristics and best practices, not just data
"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
- Specific educational info
- Detailed work info
- Exact age
Allowed with conditions
- Gender (inclusive options only)
- Age (ranges only)
- Race/ethnicity (inclusive options)
My Solution
- Gender: Added "Prefer not to say" + all inclusive options
- Race/ethnicity: Diverse LATAM options + "Prefer not to say"
- Age: Wide ranges, not exact birthdate
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
📊
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
📊
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.
Cognitive Overload
Discovery: Students took 30+ min per test. High mental load.
Action: Reviewed structure, reduced redundancies, simplified.
"Designing for worst-case ensures it works for everyone."
Stack Tech
Stack definido para equilibrar experiencia de usuario, restricciones legales y viabilidad técnica.
Figma
Conversation Design
Dialogflow
Chatbot Plataforma
Google Cloud
Chatbot Plataforma
Drupal
Integración
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
En contextos complejos y limitados la clave es priorizar lo que más impacto genera.
Real Context Defines Design
Documentación para auditoría. Calibrar el cuidado legal con la experiencia de usuario requiere negociación constante y claridad entrade-offs.
Radical Prioritization Unlocks Launches
Conducir entrevistas sobre temas traumáticos (abuso sexual, decisiones reproductivas) requiere un profundo respeto, escucha sin juicio y crear espacios seguros.
Multicultural Coordination Requires Over-Communication
Conducir entrevistas sobre temas traumáticos (abuso sexual, decisiones reproductivas) requiere un profundo respeto, escucha sin juicio y crear espacios seguros.
Role Is Defined by What Project Needs
Conducir entrevistas sobre temas traumáticos (abuso sexual, decisiones reproductivas) requiere un profundo respeto, escucha sin juicio y crear espacios seguros.