TYPE:
WEB PLATFORM
CLIENT:
COPPETEC & JBRJ
YEAR:
2025
EXPERIENCE:
UX, BRANDING, WEB DESIGN
Fósseis do Brasil
about.
The Catálogo de Fósseis do Brasil (CFB) is a digital platform designed to document, preserve, and make accessible Brazil’s paleontological heritage. It centralizes fossil records of animals, plants, and geological traces from national collections, providing an open-access system that supports scientific research, education, and cultural dissemination.
CFB is part of the Catálogo da Vida do Brasil, a national biodiversity data infrastructure coordinated by the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden (JBRJ). This initiative integrates four specialized catalogs:
Flora e Funga do Brasil (FFB) – launched in 2010
Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil (CTFB) – launched in 2015
Catálogo de Microrganismos do Brasil (CMB) – under development, expected by 2025
Catálogo de Fósseis do Brasil (CFB) – under development, expected by 2025
Building on the experience of the Fauna and Flora & Funga platforms — both developed by COPPETEC Foundation in collaboration with JBRJ researchers — the CFB adopts benchmarking of international paleontological databases while emphasizing usability and accessibility. My role focuses on UX research, interface design, and provisional branding to deliver an intuitive, scientifically rigorous, and engaging experience for exploring fossil data in Brazil.
challenge.
The main challenge was to design a user experience capable of presenting highly detailed paleontological records — including taxonomic data, geolocation, and high-resolution images — while keeping navigation simple and intuitive for a wide range of audiences, from scientists to students.
We also had to address responsive design to ensure accessibility and usability on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices.
process.
I worked on UX research, interface design, and usability testing to ensure the platform could meet both scientific rigor and accessibility standards. From the start, the focus was on balancing the complexity of paleontological data with an interface simple enough to serve diverse audiences — from expert researchers to students and educators.
The design process included:
Benchmarking against national and international biological catalogs;
Designing taxonomy-based navigation and advanced filtering tools;
Designing the first identity proposal and applying it directly to mid-fidelity wireframes;
Prototyping an interactive high-fidelity prototype in Figma;
Usability testing with real data scenarios in close collaboration with developers;
Iterating on feedback to improve data readability, hierarchy, visual consistency, and mobile responsiveness.
The final design prioritized visual hierarchy for dense scientific records, enabling quick scanning without losing the depth required for research purposes.
results.
The Catálogo de Fósseis do Brasil improved the accessibility of paleontological data, making it easier for researchers to find relevant specimens and for educators to integrate fossil information into teaching materials.
The platform also supports the preservation of Brazil’s paleontological heritage by offering a centralized, digital record of fossil collections.
