IntegraGov Licitações
Private Brazilian platform for online government procurement/bidding
My role
Timeline
January (2025) • In progress
UX designer (Research analysis, Site map, Wireframing, Development of visual identity and Prototyping);
Product Manager (Coordinate meetings, testing and validating bugs, planning tasks, creating objectives and setting dates).
Initial team
(Me) UX Designer
1 Product Manager
1 Tech Lead
1 Mid-level Front-end Developer
2 Full Stack Intern
1Full Stack Developer
Due to the complexity of the project and limitations in resources, the team had to be reduced.
I have developed, to date, 706 frames in Figma.
Because of my leadership role in conducting the tests and coordinating the meetings, I was assigned a new position.
Current team
(Me) UX Designer & Product Manager
1 Tech Lead
2 Front-end Developer Intern
Obstacles & adaptations
Context
What are licitações (public tenders/bids)?
Licitações (public tenders/bids) are public processes for purchasing materials or contracting services, carried out in Brazil, in which government agencies publish official notices (editais) outlining the rules for what needs to be acquired, and interested companies submit proposals through a digital platform. Then, an online auction takes place, and the winners are the companies that offer the best prices and conditions.
Problem
Finding an online bidding platform with a clean interface and simple usability, but that doesn't cover the entire country
There are countless online bidding platforms in Brazil, yet most of them lack a simple interface and well-planned usability. Another compromising factor is that the sites that don't suffer from this problem operate throughout Brazilian territory, which ends up creating a problem: companies from very distant states accidentally registering for processes for which they won't be able to provide the service, due to geographic distance.
Solution
Create a dedicated environment for each government agency to conduct its bidding processes, focusing on the web experience
Simple, automated usability
Clean interface with clearly defined information
Personalized tutorials to facilitate learning and information lookup
Easily accessible support
Transparency in bidding sessions
Automated processes for user convenience
Transparency in all actions performed by the auctioneer
Reinforced security system to prevent fraud
Well-cataloged documentation
Session chat logs all actions performed within it
Easily accessible documentation for download
Record of all processes and changes in the Notices section
Competitive analysis
Nothing is obvious. You can only use these platforms if you've had some training beforehand
When analyzing the main online bidding platforms in Brazil, it became clear that most were visually cluttered and lacked intuitiveness for new users. At the time, there was only one major competitor with a pleasant interface, but with a much broader, more generic focus.
AI support
I used Claude and Gemini to research and compare competitor tools, helping identify gaps in their processes and confirming that none of them covered the full flow from search to cadence.
User interview
The process involved in a bidding procedure is long and full of nuances, so the platform has to be as practical as possible
I coordinated a few meetings with two pregoeiros (public officials responsible for managing the online bidding process). In these meetings, I was presented with the entire workflow of a bidding session in practice, from its creation to its closing.
In parallel, our team had a client company employee who specialized in participating in the bidding sessions of these online auctions. I had direct contact with him and was responsible for synthesizing all of his knowledge and conveying it to the team through Trello cards, screens, and Figma prototypes.
Primary Persona
Pregoeiro (public officials responsible for managing the process).
Secondary Persona
Company participating in the dispute sessions.
Other players
Due to Brazilian legislation, when developing these platforms, we have to consider the individuals who work in the public sector monitoring the validity of online bidding platforms. For this reason, we created two additional personas.
Tertiary Persona
Public servant responsible for monitoring this type of platform.
Quaternary Persona
Individuals wishing to follow a tender (it is a public process).
AI support
I used Gemini to transcribe the entire audio recording of the meetings into text. I then combined Claude and Gemini to analyze this information: first organizing it into topics, and then structuring it into personas.
Analysis & Planning
To seek, gather, organize, plan, and monitor. These are the important steps
The users profile was used to develop the Proposition Canvas methodologies to verify if the company's solution aligned with these needs. Then, all the user's touchpoints with the experience were mapped.
Canva
Gain creator: All the tools you need in one place.
Products and services: Familiar features.
Pain relief: A simple, organized software with fast performance.
User Journey Map
The mapping of all touchpoints throughout the entire usability period of the app was established to make the delivery experience as efficient and pleasant as possible.
UJM • Pregoeiro
UJM • Companies
Testing & Improvements
Planing + Sketching + Testing
Having defined the project's structure, it was time for planning and testing. Several designs were created to develop a smooth and intuitive user journey. In addition, numerous sketches were made to create screens that would facilitate the creation of the wireframes.
User Story Mapping
Information architecture
AI support
To speed up the process and improve the composition of elements in wireframes, I used Figma AI's ready-made layouts to generate visual references and screen composition ideas. This helped test different hierarchies of information without having to draw each variation from scratch.
Improving
Test, validate, and improve/adapt
Given the complexity of the bidding process, constant tests were carried out to validate business rules and identify bugs. To that end, I coordinated meetings with the development team and, occasionally, with our bidding consultant.
The result
The IntegraGov Licitações
Link to full Figma file: here
Current state
Refinement: Testing, Corrections, and Business Rules
Currently, the platform is in a nearly finalized state for publication. However, due to the countless details of the standards required by Brazilian legislation, business rules are still being added.
My role became coordinating daily meetings, organizing all bugs, goals, and testing objectives on a Trello board, conducting tests, and setting priorities to optimize the time of the limited development team.
Lessons
What I'll do differently next time
This is the most complex and lengthy project I've ever worked on. Throughout this time, various technologies evolved, and I had to grow far beyond my comfort zone. What I learned most was:
Learn the value of your work. I dealt with countless professionals, learned new concepts, and took on roles that were completely unfamiliar to me — always with professionalism. As a reward, I received more responsibilities and better compensation.
Be proactive and take the lead when necessary. On several occasions, I had to take the initiative and control the situation to keep the project moving forward. This made me a vital part of the platform's development and the reason I was the only member of the original team who stayed.
Organize and plan ahead to avoid disrupting the workflow. Over time, the project's scope grew while the client's resources shrank, requiring meticulous planning of each stage and focus on what mattered most. Without that, our progress would slow down.
Delivery app for a lunchbox restaurant inside an apartment complex.
Other projects
Quentinhas da Socorro
Prize
Corporate incentive and rewards management platform to engage teams and automate rewards.
