TYPE:
WEB PLATFORM
CLIENT:
COPPETEC & JBRJ
YEAR:
2025
EXPERIENCE:
UX, BRANDING, WEB DESIGN
Microrganismos do Brasil
about.
The Catálogo de Microrganismos do Brasil (CMB) is a digital platform designed to centralize, organize, and make accessible microbiological data for researchers and institutions across Brazil. It compiles information on bacteria, unicellular algae, and protozoa, offering a unified, open-access system to support scientific research, education, and biodiversity studies.
CMB 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 CMB combines benchmarking of national and international biological catalogs with a user-centered approach. My role focuses on UX research, interface design, and provisional branding to ensure an intuitive and responsive experience for accessing and managing Brazil’s microbiological records.
challenge.
The project’s main challenge was to structure a vast and complex dataset into an interface that is accessible to both expert researchers and non-specialized audiences, without compromising data integrity.
We also needed to ensure that search filters, taxonomy navigation, and record visualization worked seamlessly across desktop and mobile, supporting varied research workflows.
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 Microrganismos do Brasil streamlined access to Brazil’s microbiological records, enabling faster, more precise searches and facilitating data sharing among institutions.
The catalog’s structure and filtering capabilities improved discoverability of species and strains, supporting academic research, biotechnology projects, and biodiversity preservation initiatives.
