About

Itaú Corretora wanted a modern app that matched the scale of its investor base.

As the UX/UI designer leading the redesign, my work integrated strategy, research, and interface design to rebuild the experience from end to end — making investment actions clearer, faster, and more trustworthy.

We chose the most obvious option: using one of the most well-known brands in the world.

The first idea was based on the institutional Itaú look, which has orange tones, big icons, and bright colors.

After talking to a few users, it was clear that the previous plan wasn't the right path.

One sentence changed the whole project:

“It looks like a children’s app.”

It was said by an experienced investor, used to working with platforms like Bloomberg and Home Broker.

And he was right…

Investing is about decision-making, reading, and precision — and the prototype’s visual language didn’t communicate any of that.
At that moment, the role of design stopped being about “following brand guidelines” and became about building trust.

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Redefining the Problem

One of the biggest lessons from this project was realizing that design isn’t about maintaining an identity — it’s about translating it.
And translating Itaú’s identity into the world of investments meant changing the visual language, the information architecture, and even the density of elements on screen.

The new goal was clear:

“The investor needs to feel like they’re in Itaú — but operating in a professional investment platform.”

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This led us to rethink the entire experience:

• We redesigned the navigation flows and information architecture, which reduces unnecessary clicks.

• We created interactive and responsive charts with a clean look and data-centered visuals.

• We developed over 250 custom icons in collaboration with Itaú’s graphic design team and Ana Couto Branding.

• And most importantly, we introduced a dark interface language, focused on data readability and user concentration — something quite uncommon in 2015.

  
  

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Before DesignOps Had a Name

We call it DesignOps now, but back then, it was just working together and being determined.

There were more than 16 teams, 450 wireframes, 150 hours of testing, and more than 800 layout explorations.

We worked in short cycles and checked each choice with real users and business stakeholders.

The tests had investors of all kinds, from experienced traders to people who had never bought stocks before.

a) Every sprint, we improved microinteractions and tested our ideas about color contrasts, information density, visual feedback, and accessibility.

b) We were always learning, and without knowing it, we were using ideas that would later become standard UX best practices.

*In 2015, a few Brazilian banks applied user testing methods to financial products. According to Nielsen Norman Group’s study “UX in Banking: Global Benchmark 2015,” only 28% of institutions tested usability with customers before launch.

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Form Follows Function: The new visual identity was born from a balance of clarity and emotion.

The dark palette brought focus to data, while Itaú’s signature orange maintained brand familiarity.
Green and red were calibrated for quick data reading — intuitive yet without visual noise.

The Roboto typeface, recently introduced to Android, offered legibility and cross-platform consistency.

The result was a functional, elegant, and accessible design — before “dark mode” was even a trend.

*Fun fact: “Dark mode” only became popular on iOS in 2018 and Android in 2019 (Google Design, 2019).

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The impact

At the time, Itaú Corretora stood out for delivering an intuitive and fluid experience, unusual in the financial sector.
The comparative charts, simplified screens, and smart use of color made the app an internal benchmark for usability excellence.

Interestingly, when I look at today’s investment apps — from Nubank to XP — I see many of the same principles applied:

• Strong contrast and data focus.

• Subtle, functional microinteractions.

• Dark UI as a symbol of professionalism.

The difference is that, in 2015, all of this was still experimental.

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2015 x 2025 — The Design That Stood the Test of Time

What makes me proud is realizing that, even after all this evolution, Itaú Corretora aged gracefully.
The decisions we made back then — grounded in research, empathy, and clarity — still make sense today.

*According to McKinsey’s Digital Experience Survey (2024), companies that mature their UX practices increase digital engagement by an average of 33% and reduce conversion times in financial products by 25%.

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What I Learned

This project taught me that design is about listening and translating.
That aesthetics without purpose is just noise.
And that the best design is the one that changes the client’s perception.

“At first, Itaú wanted an app that looked like the bank.
In the end, the bank got an app that looked like its investors.”

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Results

As a direct outcome of the usability and information architecture improvements, the project achieved remarkable results:

Good designs don’t age.
They evolve without losing purpose.

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