Following its acquisition by XP, Rico faced a critical turning point. The existing application was struggling with technical debt and poor user sentiment, reflected in critically low store ratings (1.6 on Apple and 2.8 on Google). My mission was to spearhead a total product rebuild, from the ground up, aligning it with XP’s robust infrastructure while maintaining Rico’s unique identity for the self-service investor. Our goal was to transform a failing legacy app into a high-performing engine for daily visits, in-app transactions, and NPS.
Bridging Two Worlds
The challenge was navigating the transition from a small, acquired startup to a financial giant like XP. We had to advocate for a 'self-service' design philosophy that differed from the parent company’s advisor-led model. While XP’s core app relied on human experts to translate complex jargon, Rico’s new users had no such safety net. We aligned stakeholders around a shared vision: for the experience to succeed, the design itself needed to act as an advisor, simplifying high-stakes financial decisions into an intuitive, autonomous experience.
"Inside-Out" Approach: We utilized a "layered" exploration strategy to manage the complexity of multiple asset classes. We purposefully started with the Product Page, the most data-heavy layer, to pressure-test our design system against the constraints of Fixed Income, Funds, and COE. By solving for the most difficult requirements first, we established a scalable language that allowed us to "go up" the layers into aggregators, dashboards, and the home screen with total consistency.
To solve the lack of human support, we integrated Knowledge Capsules—contextual education embedded directly into the transaction flow. These were strategic interventions designed to explain difficult terms and provide situational tips at the exact moment of decision-making. This reduced friction and built the trust necessary for users to manage their own portfolios confidently without external help.
Our process began with unconstrained brainstorming to ensure we were solving for the user’s ideal mental model. I then led alignment meetings with business and technology teams from every product area. Through these sessions, we "funneled" our blue-sky ideas through technical and regulatory constraints. This collaborative filtering ensured a feasible MVP while creating a rich backlog of validated ideas for future development cycles.
As we were launching a product from scratch on a new technology stack, we adopted a conservative Beta Strategy. We moved from usability testing during the design phase to a controlled release with a select group of testers. This allowed us to collect real-world feedback and refine micro-interactions in a low-risk environment. The overwhelmingly positive feedback from this group gave stakeholders the security needed for a full-scale market rollout
The rebuild was a definitive success, proving that design-led education could serve as a primary growth lever.
Reputation Repair: Shifted App Store ratings from 1.6 to 4.5.
Commercial Growth: Significant uptick in AUM (Assets Under Management) and in-app transactions.
Operational Excellence: Successfully built a new design team and established a cross-functional alignment process that bridged multiple product silos.
This was an exhaustive journey of team building, stakeholder alignment, and iterative refinement. Beyond the metrics, I am most proud of how we transformed a fragmented acquisition into a cohesive, empowering platform. We didn't just build an app; we built a new way for people to enter the investment world with confidence.
