Sérgio Gonçalves

Sérgio Gonçalves

Digital Creative Director in Oporto, Portugal

About

Hello! I’m Sérgio Gonçalves, an award-winning Creative Director based in Oporto with over 10 years of experience shaping the digital future for global brands.

Throughout my career, I’ve seamlessly blended creativity with strategy. Design is not just about aesthetics—it’s about creating powerful connections between brands and audiences. I focus on understanding user needs and business goals to craft solutions that drive growth.

My experience spans design studios, digital agencies, and startups, where I’ve turned challenges into opportunities, influencing user experiences and driving business success. I thrive on simplifying complex ideas and inspiring teams to exceed expectations, always delivering results that matter.

Driven by curiosity and a passion for innovation, I’m eager to collaborate with forward-thinking teams that value creativity, collaboration, and pushing boundaries. Let’s create something extraordinary together!

Features

2024
Work Preferences & Availability

Location Preference: Open to hybrid or fully remote roles based in Oporto, Portugal.

Recruitment Process: Prefer a streamlined process, ideally limited to 2-3 stages.

Portfolio Review: Available exclusively within the context of an interview.

Design Challenges and Competency Tests: Do not participate in these as part of the hiring evaluation process.

Availability: Ready for immediate start and committed to contributing from day one.

Work Experience

2013 — Now
Independent Creative Director at Self-employed

Design Leadership & Mentorship
Led and mentored cross-functional teams of UX/UI, Product, and Brand Designers, aligning creative direction with business objectives and fostering a collaborative environment.

User-Centered Design Strategy
Developed and executed user-centered design strategies, utilizing user research, testing, and data analysis to optimize UX/UI and enhance the user experience across digital platforms.

Brand & UX/UI Consistency
Ensured consistent application of brand identity and UX/UI principles across all touchpoints, creating a seamless and cohesive experience across products and marketing materials.

Collaborative Product Development
Worked closely with Product Managers, Engineers, and stakeholders to guide design from concept to launch, ensuring user needs were met and business goals achieved.

Design Systems & Process Optimization
Created and maintained scalable design systems, refining workflows and processes to improve efficiency, consistency, and quality of design deliverables across projects.

2023 — 2024
Sr. UX UI Product Designer at IT Consultancy

UI Strategy & User-Centered Design
Developed and executed UI strategies aligned with business goals, crafting user-centered interfaces that enhanced user experience while ensuring accessibility and usability.

Design Systems & Component Libraries
Designed and maintained comprehensive UI design systems and component libraries, ensuring consistency, scalability, and cohesive visual language across multiple platforms, including aviation environments.

Prototyping & Usability Testing
Created interactive prototypes, wireframes, and mockups to validate design solutions, conducting usability tests with end users (pilots and cabin crew) to ensure functionality, safety, and clarity.

Cross-Functional Collaboration
Collaborated closely with Product Owners, UX Designers, and Development teams to ensure seamless integration of UI designs into product lifecycles, meeting operational and safety requirements within the aviation industry.

Continuous Improvement & Innovation
Stayed up-to-date with the latest UI trends, tools, and technologies, continuously iterating on designs based on user feedback and usability testing to improve efficiency and safety in high-pressure environments.

2020 — 2022
Sr. UX UI Product Designer at Confidential Company

User-Centered Design & Research
Led the design of user-focused solutions by conducting user research, developing personas, and creating user journeys to simplify interaction with complex systems and enhance user productivity.

UX/UI Design Execution & Prototyping
Developed wireframes, high-fidelity prototypes, and UI designs for web and mobile platforms, ensuring functionality and usability aligned with technical user needs and business goals.

Design Systems & Cross-Platform Consistency
Created and maintained a robust design system to ensure consistency and usability across desktop and mobile versions, optimizing the user experience for both platforms.

Collaboration with Cross-Functional Teams
Worked closely with product managers, developers, and stakeholders to ensure seamless integration of design solutions, aligning user needs with technical requirements for industrial platforms.

Usability Testing & Iteration
Conducted usability testing with end-users, gathering feedback and refining designs based on data-driven insights to improve the user interface and ensure intuitive, effective usage of complex systems.

2019 — 2020
Sr. UX UI Product Designer at New Work SE

Design Systems & Consistency
Led the creation of a scalable and consistent design system, ensuring cohesive and efficient interfaces across the entire platform, optimizing usability and visual identity.

High-Fidelity Prototyping & Validation
Developed high-fidelity interactive prototypes for new features, validating design solutions with users before implementation to ensure alignment with user needs.

User Research & Usability Testing
Conducted user research and usability tests to identify pain points and refine the user experience, applying insights to improve platform usability and engagement.

Data-Driven Design Iteration
Analyzed user behavior data to continuously optimize navigation flows and simplify processes, enhancing the overall user experience and usability of the platform.

Collaboration with Cross-Functional Teams
Worked closely with Product Owners and IT teams to align design solutions with business objectives, ensuring that design decisions met both user needs and strategic goals.

2018 — 2019
Head of UX UI Product Design at Marvil 56

Team Leadership & Coordination
Led a team of 3 designers, ensuring the application of UX/UI best practices across all projects while fostering a collaborative, high-performance environment.

Strategic Planning & Project Management
Strategically planned project deliverables, defining timelines and priorities to ensure high-quality outcomes and client satisfaction.

Prototyping & User Testing
Created interactive prototypes to present and validate design solutions with users, ensuring interfaces were intuitive, effective, and user-friendly.

User Research & Platform Optimization
Conducted in-depth user research to tailor digital platforms to real user needs, improving interface effectiveness and increasing user engagement.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Implementation
Worked closely with marketing and technology teams to ensure successful implementation of design solutions, aligning aesthetics, functionality, and business objectives.

Swatch Group, Nespresso, Skoda, Borsalino, Singer Reimagined, Nestlé Waters, Philip Morris, Norlha (...)

2017 — 2018
UX UI Product Designer at Tekzenit

Wireframing & Interactive Prototyping
Created wireframes and interactive prototypes to validate design ideas before implementation, ensuring the best possible user experience.

Intuitive Interface Design
Designed intuitive and functional interfaces, improving digital experiences across diverse platforms tailored to the specific needs of each brand.

User Flow & Journey Mapping
Developed user flows and journey maps to optimize navigation and interactions, enhancing user journeys and overall platform effectiveness.

Cross-Functional Collaboration
Collaborated with multidisciplinary teams (marketing, technology, product) to ensure visual and functional consistency across all digital solutions.

Usability Testing & Iteration
Conducted usability tests and analyzed user feedback, making continuous adjustments to interfaces to maximize user effectiveness and satisfaction.

AT&T, Ericsson, Saxo Bank, Bosch, Airtel, Rogers, Capital One, Amdocs, CBRE (...)

2015 — 2016
UX UI Product Designer at PlatformE / Farfetch

Wireframing & Prototyping
Created wireframes, mockups, and interactive prototypes to deliver functional and visually engaging solutions for the e-commerce platform and mobile app.

Design System Development
Developed a design system to ensure visual consistency and a cohesive user experience across both the platform and mobile app.

User Flow & Checkout Optimization
Designed optimized user flows with a focus on improving the purchasing journey, especially enhancing the checkout experience to increase conversions.

Continuous Usability Testing & Iteration
Conducted continuous usability testing (A/B testing), gathering user feedback to refine the interface and improve the effectiveness of the platform and app.

LVMH, Kering, Gucci, Dior, Fendi Roma, Nordstrom, Ermenegildo Zegna, Level Shoes, Nicholas Kirkwood, Emilio Pucci, Swear London, Juicy Couture, Karl Lagerfeld (...)

2013 — 2014
Design Consultant at #1 Brand Gallery

Design Systems Development
Created customized design systems tailored to each client's needs and brand identity, aligning aesthetics, functionality, and brand objectives.

UX/UI Design for High-Impact Digital Solutions
Developed UX/UI designs for websites and digital platforms, ensuring memorable and efficient user experiences while meeting business goals.

Prototyping & Interactive Wireframing
Created interactive prototypes and wireframes, optimizing navigation flows to provide a more intuitive and seamless user experience.

Usability Testing & User Insights
Conducted usability testing and user studies, implementing insights to refine and improve design solutions, ensuring greater user satisfaction.

Information Architecture & Navigation Flows
Defined information architecture and navigation flows to ensure intuitive and effective navigation across digital platforms.

The House of Eyewear, Vale Do Lobo - Luxury Golf & Beach Resort, Monte Do Freixo - L'and Vineyards, Absolut Vodka, Claus, Clush Eyewear, Archbrito, Vista Alegre, Tivoli Hotels & Resorts, A Vida Portuguesa, Bordallo Pinheiro, Casa Das Histórias - Paula Rego, Museu do Design e da Moda, Palácio Nacional da Ajuda (...)

Projects

2024
Collaborations

Google, IBM, Spotify, Airbus, LVMH, Nestlé, Skoda, Chalhoub Group, Swatch, Philip Morris, Saxo Bank, AT&T, Bosch, Capital One, Ericsson, Nanushka, Amdocs, J.W. Anderson, Airtel, For Art's Sake, Les Petits Joueurs

Certifications

2024
Skills from UX UI Design & Key Tools

Adobe Creative Suite, Sketch, Figma, Principle, Framer X, Balsamiq, InVision, Abstract, Zeplin, Marvel, Webflow, Origami Studio, ProtoPie, UXPin, Slack, Asana, Jira

Speaking

2024
Portuguese

Native

2024
English

B1-B2

2024
Spanish

B1-B2

Awards

2014
SOSPIRO Newspaper from Behance Website
2014
FLURBUR Mag from Behance Website
2013
HUE Magazine from Behance Website
2013
TRIBUTE Magazine from Behance Website
2013
GULA Magazine from Behance Website

Education

Contact