Sportweet is a mobile application that allows its users to follow the news of their favorite sports teams through curated Twitter lists.
The redesign challenge focused on generating an interface more familiar to twitter and material design, to mitigate changes in usability patterns between one system and another.
Role: UX Product Manager
Tools: Figma, Miro, UsabilityHub
Calificadas is a virtual coach designed to empower Spanish-speaking women in the workplace by helping them develop communication and leadership skills.
In 2021, the team approached me to transform their business idea into a digital product to qualify for investment programs. Through a structured product discovery process, we designed and launched an MVP, enabling Calificadas to secure a spot in the prestigious 18th 500Latam batch.
Collaborated with the client to refine their business idea into a functional prototype.
Conducted user research to identify pain points and key user needs.
Defined product requirements and core features, creating a roadmap for information architecture and user journey design.
Refined the initial prototype and developed an MVP, enabling the client to qualify for the 500Latam organizational development program.
Secured early-stage funding and initial product validation.
Leveraged the funding obtained to develop the first full version of Calificadas App for a B2C business model.
Enhanced features and optimized the user experience for individual users.
Expanded the platform to include a B2B offering, allowing companies to provide the product to their employees.
Designed new features and reorganized the platform to support a broader market.
Enabled the client to access a key early-stage funding program (500Latam), strengthening their organizational structure and securing continued development.
Contributed to the growth of Calificadas from an initial prototype to a functional and scalable platform, achieving market fit validation.
Helped the client establish a solid foundation for their team, business model, and long-term growth.
Role: Staff Product Designer
Tools: Figma, Figma Variables, Miro, Supernova
Create a Cohesive Design System
Develop a centralized and scalable design language for Betterfly’s platform.
As a Staff Product Designer, I led the creation and implementation of Betterfly’s design system—after called ‘Bubble’—during a pivotal time for the company. Betterfly was rapidly evolving, having become Latin America’s first unicorn and then a social impact unicorn, which meant we faced both exciting opportunities and complex challenges.
Establishing a design system that enables teams to deliver consistent product experiences efficiently is a complex task. Not from a design or development perspective, but from the product side of a design system. Identifying and acting strategically to take advantage of opportunities to create transparency and implement design system pilots in a rapidly scaling structure is critical to achieve system goals.
Ensure Scalability
Leverage Figma’s variables and design tokens to create a system that supports future product evolution.
Improve Collaboration
Streamline the design-development handoff process by standardizing components and workflows.
Enhance Efficiency
Reduce redundant design and development tasks by increasing component reusability.
I initiated the project with a comprehensive audit of our existing UI components and user flows.
I collaborated closely with stakeholders—conducting interviews with developers and product managers—to identify pain points and align on desired outcomes.
We also conducted competitive analysis to benchmark industry best practices.
We ran workshops to hone in on the specific problems we needed the design system to solve. This helped us define measurable outcomes and ensure that our system would add real value.
Using tools like Figma (including Figma Variables), Miro, and Supernova, we built a robust library of reusable components and integrated design tokens for colors, typography, and spacing.
A key challenge was balancing the system’s development with a sudden shift in business strategy due to a complete rebrand and a renewed focus on mobile. We addressed this by redefining our priorities, customizing the branding aspects of the design system, and ensuring agile updates through tokenization and flexible library structures.
Regular design-development syncs and a living documentation site were established to facilitate seamless handoffs and ensure consistency across both web and mobile platforms.
We built Bubble to be the single source of truth for every cross-functional team member, such as designers, engineers or product managers. It powers every part of Betterfly’s product experience. It provides Betterfly with a common language and reusable code. It facilitates cross-functional collaboration, eliminates duplication of effort and creates design cohesion.
Variables & Tokens: Integrated design tokens for colours, typography and spacing to ensure flexibility and consistency.
Components: We have built a robust library of reusable components and patterns for both mobile and web platforms.
The new design system reduced design time by 27% and the overall design-to-development cycle by 65%.
It improved cross-team collaboration, ensuring that everyone—from designers to engineers—was aligned.
Ultimately, we received positive feedback from both stakeholders and users, who appreciated the enhanced consistency and usability of the platform.
This experience underscored for me the importance of creating design systems that not only serve as a visual guide but also as a strategic tool that aligns with business goals and supports agile product evolution. It was a rewarding challenge that truly demonstrated how effective design systems can drive both operational efficiency and a superior user experience.”
1. Design systems are intended to provide a support structure between groups, but if that structure is not clear, the systems fade.
2. “For a design system to work, it needs to embrace the company’s characteristics and peculiarities.”
3. There are many things that can stop progress. This is even more likely if you are working for a growing company.
4. Hook design system pilots or initiatives to the company’s overall goals. Consistency is not an end in itself, but the result of strategically adding value to the product ecosystem.
Mel Costa“Martin, thanks for all your help and support. You do great work and you really know your stuff.”
Design Manager
Natalia Tobón“Since he took charge of the Design System, he’s had a big impact on how the team works, and the results speak for themselves.”
Product Designer Lead
Anto Mizón“Thank you for always being so professional, scholarly and always so academic.”
UX Research Lead
Nayi Nuñez“Thank you for your enormous contribution! And for being one of those who believe it is possible!”
Engineering Director
Cami Gonzalez“Thank you for being such a great mentor and for everything I’ve learned from you in the Design System.”
Engineer Delivery Manager
Ronny Gonzalez“Martín, you have given us great support with the Design System. Thank you.”
CPO