Empowering Small Businesses:
Everything your MEI Needs in one place
The MEI Portal Santander was developed by Santander Bank in Brazil, a subsidiary of the Santander Group, one of the largest multinational financial services companies headquartered in Spain.
The project was designed to serve small-scale entrepreneurs under the MEI (Microempreendedor Individual) category in Brazil, offering a centralized platform to help them manage their businesses with ease.
The portal simplified the process of opening a MEI business, managing payments, and accessing essential services like downloading MEI monthly bills. It also provided access to financial products, such as credit and debit cards, and card machines tailored to the needs of these entrepreneurs. This platform served as a hub, offering comprehensive business management tools and tailored solutions to MEI entrepreneurs and small businesses.
Understanding the Problem
In Brazil, MEI (Microempreendedor Individual) is a simplified legal business classification that helps small-scale entrepreneurs establish and operate businesses with reduced administrative and tax obligations.
However, many MEI entrepreneurs struggle with understanding the bureaucratic processes involved in managing their MEI status, such as paying their monthly tax obligations (DAS), accessing government benefits, and managing their finances efficiently.
Santander recognized this challenge and aimed to create a platform that provided MEI entrepreneurs with an all-in-one solution.
The MEI Portal was developed to make business management more accessible by offering users a clear, user-friendly platform to manage their MEI accounts, download bills, make payments, and access additional financial products. This initiative was vital to empower entrepreneurs and small business owners by simplifying the complex processes involved in running a business.
Responsibilities & Tools
— Research & User Testing
— UI Design and creation of Prototypes in Sketch
— Creation of Wireframes in Miro and Sketch
— Collaboration with Development Teams at Santander
— Design System Integration & Component Creation
Tools used: Sketch, Miro, Axure
Design Process
— User Flow Mapping, Wireframes & User Interface:
I worked closely with my counterpart at Santander, Diones Calisto, to map out the complete user flow, ensuring the platform covered all necessary scenarios. We used Axure for flow mapping and Sketch for designing wireframes and interface pages. The interface was crafted to be simple, intuitive, and accessible to entrepreneurs who may not be frequent technology users.
— Prototyping & User Testing:
Prototypes were developed and tested with real users, allowing us to gather valuable feedback to enhance the overall experience. We conducted usability tests to ensure the platform was easy to navigate and met the needs of small business owners.
— Design System Integration:
The platform was built using Santander’s design system, with new components created as needed to meet the specific requirements of MEI users. This ensured consistency across all screens while allowing flexibility for the unique features of the portal.
— Collaboration & Iteration:
I collaborated with development teams from both Santander and Zup to ensure seamless implementation of the design and features. The user experience was continuously refined based on feedback from users and iterative testing.
Solution & Impact
The MEI Portal Santander was designed to provide a seamless experience for MEI entrepreneurs by offering a range of functionalities, including:
— Account Management: Users could easily create a MEI account, track their monthly DAS bills, download them, and make payments directly through the platform.
— Financial Product Integration: Entrepreneurs had access to credit and debit cards, card machines, and other Santander financial services tailored to small businesses.
— Business Management Hub: The portal served as a one-stop-shop for managing all aspects of their MEI business, providing an easy way to access administrative tasks, bills, and financial solutions.
The platform was designed using Sketch and mapped out through extensive flow mapping, in collaboration with a designer from Santander. Together, we ensured that the user journey was simple and intuitive, leveraging Santander’s design system and creating new components where necessary. User testing was conducted at various stages to ensure the platform met the needs of MEI entrepreneurs, and feedback was integrated to refine the user experience.
Although the platform was eventually discontinued by Santander, the MEI Portal served as an essential tool for entrepreneurs during its operational period.
All work displayed on this page, including designs, text, and images, is the intellectual property of Santander and its associated companies. Unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or use of any materials without explicit permission is strictly prohibited.
For this project, I was part of Zup’s team within Santander.