Vive España
Bring to the table win-win survival strategies to ensure proactive domination. At the end of the day, forward a new normal.
UX UI Designs / CRO

My Role

Lead UX Designer & Researcher

Funnel Phase

Activation / Conversion

Timeline

8 weeks

Tools Used

Dovetail, Lookback, Typeform, Figma, Miro, Principle, Hotjar, Google Analytics

01

Project Overview

Redesigning Vive España to clarify students’ journeys

As Lead UX Designer & Researcher, I took on the challenge of overhauling an existing information portal for international students. My mission was to transform a confusing, text-heavy site into a clear, guided experience—so users could effortlessly navigate program options, understand visa steps, and secure housing without dropping off. This project set the stage for every insight and design decision that followed.

02

Project Challenge

When user paths break, everything else falls apart—almost 50 % were abandoning before booking a free consult. We set out to:

  1. Streamline the form on mobile & desktop
  2. Reveal each visa/housing step with progressive cues
  3. Build trust through geo-tagged testimonials, driving deeper engagement

03

Project Process

Through a tightly choreographed design sprint, we ran every step through the user’s lens:

  1. Kick-off & Baseline Analysis: Aligned KPIs in stakeholder workshops; ran cognitive walkthroughs to pinpoint blocker moments.
  2. User Research: 12 interviews, 8 unmoderated tests, and a 54-respondent survey to map drop-off triggers.
  3. Synthesis & Definition: Affinity clusters yielded two personas (“Explorer” and “Planner”); journey maps exposed friction hotspots.
  4. Ideation & Validation: Sketch workshops and low-fi Figma flows tested in rapid pilot rounds.
  5. High-Fi Design & Prototyping: Built 15-screen interactive prototypes; refined through two sprint-length usability bursts.
  6. Development & QA: Deployed on Webflow (CMS plans, Zapier forms); ensured WCAG 2.1 AA and cross-browser fidelity.
  7. Launch & Optimization: Rolled out incremental updates; tracked heatmaps and on-page feedback for continuous refinement.

04

Project Solution

Our data painted a clear picture of pain points:

  • Interviews: 70 % confused by visa document order
  • Usability tests: Users stalled without a progress bar or clear labels
  • Survey: 68 % dropped off when unaware of steps left; 72 % wanted concise, in-context help
  • Analytics & Heatmaps: 48 % exit at form step 2; hero saw deep scrolling but few clicks

Addressing each insight, we crafted a cohesive journey:

  • Multi-Stage Form: Program → Visa → Housing, with autosave on mobile
  • Progress Indicator: Always visible, with contextual tooltips
  • Contextual Guidance: Inline microcopy and tooltip definitions
  • Embedded Video Guides: 60 s explainers for tricky tasks
  • Social Proof Carousel: Geo-tagged testimonials driven by CMS

05

Project Results

The redesign moved the needle across the board:

  • Form abandonment: 45 % → 28 % (↓ 17 pp)
  • Paid-plan sign-ups: 3.2 % → 4.9 % (↑ 55 %)
  • Testimonial interactions: + 42 %
  • Visa support tickets: ↓ 30 %

06

Project Reflections

This project reinforced that guiding users through bite-sized steps—with the right cues at the right time—drives both confidence and completion. Embedding quick feedback loops early not only catches hidden friction but also keeps the team aligned on genuine user needs.

I’m now focused on weaving dynamic, profile-driven guidance into future flows (think adaptive tooltips and tailored testimonials) and piloting an AI-powered FAQ assistant for on-demand visa and housing support.

Redesigning Vive España to clarify students’ journeys

As Lead UX Designer & Researcher, I took on the challenge of overhauling an existing information portal for international students. My mission was to transform a confusing, text-heavy site into a clear, guided experience—so users could effortlessly navigate program options, understand visa steps, and secure housing without dropping off. This project set the stage for every insight and design decision that followed.

Client testimonials
Pablo immersed himself in user research from day one, transforming a confusing portal into a simple, step-by-step journey. His empathy-driven design and seamless collaboration drove measurable improvements in both conversion and user confidence.
Founder of Vive España
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