Strategic Designer for Social Innovation & Human Centred Governance +
Founder & Co-manager
at Adoção Tardia
My work focuses on helping public, private, and non-profit organisations transform how they work, deliver more value to stakeholders, also promoting social inclusion and sustainable practices. My experience comes from using design methods and processes to develop digital products, social impact projects and business strategies.
I hold a masters degree in Strategic Product Design from TU Delft (The Netherlands), a Design degree from UFRGS (Brazil). I also studied photography and illustration at NSCAD (Canada).
In 2015, I founded "Adoção Tardia" (Older Child Adoption), an initiative to change the discourse about adoption and how foster children are perceived in Brazil. We produce content primarily for adoption candidates, aiming to increase the number of successful older child adoptions. We also co-create new practices with adoption support groups and shelter home institutions to improve the experience and opportunities of children and adolescents that are placed in the foster care system.
Career journey based on personal experiences
The success of public policies and services shaped my life opportunities; for instance, it guaranteed me a substitute family and quality free education. For this reason, I am committed to helping public services and business regenerate social inequalities and safeguard human rights.
Professional Experience
- 2022–Present Innovation and Design Specialist
UNDP Strategic Innovation Unit, TürkiyeDeveloping templates and training materials to embed the system thinking/portfolio approach into the organisation;
Facilitating workshops and supporting UNDP country offices in defining strategy and positioning when engaging with complex policy problems;
Managing external design consultants and design agency partners;
Developing visualisations synthesising learnings from the field and showing pathways for organisational change. - 2021 Product Designer
CoachHub, The Netherlands | coachhub.comDeveloped all design stages: from product research to technical interface hand-off;
Produced user personas, journey maps, process flows, and storyboards to communicate research findings and business opportunities;
Managed internal stakeholders’ collaborations. 2021 TU Delft Graduate Researcher
Client: Foundation for Amazon Sustainability - FAS | fas-amazonia.org
Co-created advocacy strategy with Public Policy Team while introducing design methods and mindsets to the organisation;
Monitored and measured the impact of adopting design practices in enhancing collaboration between departments and managerial levels.
Publication: Design experiments for a development organisation in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest. download here- 2016–2019 Service and Visual Designer Consultant
No One Design-led Consultancy, Brazil | noone.isMonitored project development, contacted clients, and presented proposals;
Involved in end-to-end innovation strategy and product/service development;
Recruited research participants and external expert consultants;
Created digital products, educational programs and strategy for omnichannel user experience in collaboration with Sicredi, Financial Institution;
Created physical and digital prototypes to test business and product opportunities.
Education
- 2019-2021 MSc in Strategic Product Design
Delft University of Technology - TU Delft, The Netherlands
Final Project: Embedding Design Practices in a Non-profit Foundation for the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest
Honors: Cum Laude - 2008–2014 BA Design
Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul - UFRGS, Brazil - 2013 Exchange Student - Interdisciplinary Design
Nova Scotia College of Art & Design - NSCAD, Canada
Presentations
& Training
- 2019–Present Lecture + Workshop: Let’s Co-design
Teaching co-design theory and practices + facilitating a workshop for design graduate students at UFRGS | Brazil - 2016–Present Talk: Child-Centred Adoption Process
Raising awareness about older child adoption in adoption support groups and events concerning parenting and social issues | Brazil - 2016–2019 Design Thinking Training | Brazil
Facilitated design thinking workshops at Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce and Private Universities. - 2015 TEDxUFRGS Speaker | Brazil
Title: “Older Child Adoption: Good News to Spread out” | Brazil
Projects and other professional experience
- 2015–Present Founder, Co-Manager and Filmmaker
“Adoção Tardia” Older Child Adoption Project, Brazil | adocaotardia.comCo-creating content with foster care institutions, public prosecutors and judges from the child protection section to increase the number of successful child adoptions;
Manager of three successful crowdfunding campaigns;
Documentary film producer (premiere in 2021/2). Coordinating donor relationships and filming contractors. Defining script, recruiting participants, creating documentary branding and distribution strategy;
Creative director: producing, filming and editing instructional videos that guide discussions in adoption support groups organised by 11 organisations in six states in Brazil;
Speaker of foster care children’s rights in adoption events to raise awareness about the misconceptions about older child adoption. - 2020–Present Champion
United People Global | unitedpeople.global
Contributing with my design competencies to other members’ initiatives;
Participating in discussions about SDG’s Goals. - 2016–2019 Global Shaper and Vice Curator of Porto Alegre Hub
Global Shapers Community | globalshapers.org
Organized discussions about sustainable development in Porto Alegre city.
Represented Global Shapers Community in local events;
Represented Porto Alegre Hub at World Economic Forum - Latin America
in Argentina (2017); - 2009–2011 Administrative Director
NGO Vidanova, Brazil
Organized veterinary care calendar;
Purchased veterinary medical supplies;
Visited socioeconomic districts and interviewed community leaders to assess the needs in terms of animal welfare;
Planned and conducted NGO’s volunteer’s meetings.
Languages
- Portuguese
Native Level - English
Fluent - Spanish
Fluent - French
Basic
Honors & Awards
2019-2021 Industrial Design Engineering Faculty Scholarship
+ Holland Scholarship
Delft University of Technology- 2016 1st place - Visual Identity - Student Category
6th Bornancini Award, Brazil - Project: “Adoção Tardia” Older Child Adoption - 2016 Honourable Mention - Mobility - Professional Category
6th Bornancini Award, Brazil - Project: Sivi, Charging Station for Electric Cars - 2015 Top Citizenship Prize - Student Category
The Brazilian Human Resources Association sectional Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Graduation Project: “Adoção Tardia” Older Child Adoption - 2012 Honourable Mention - Packaging Category - Student Category
4th Bornancini Award, Brazil - Project: Romeu & Julieta 2012-2013 Science Without Borders Scholarship
Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development