UX/UI Design for iOS & Android
PROJECT TYPE
Conceptual AI UX Case Study
CLIENT
Porto Go
MY ROLE
Lead UX Designer
PROJECT OVERVIEW
In this conceptual UX and AI case study, I designed a digital assistant—PortoGo—to support Americans planning to move to Portugal. The assistant combines AI-powered planning tools, emotional support, and culturally contextual advice to simplify relocation logistics and decision-making.
THE PROBLEM
Moving abroad is overwhelming—especially for first-timers. American users face barriers such as:
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Confusing immigration paperwork
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Currency conversion and budgeting anxiety
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Language gaps
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Uncertainty about healthcare, housing, and schools
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Difficulty comparing cities beyond “touristy” stereotypes
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Emotional hesitation and fear of making the wrong move
USER RESEARCH
Understanding the Dreams, Fears, and Frictions of Relocating Abroad
To ground this concept in reality, I conducted exploratory user research focused on Americans interested in moving abroad. I wanted to better understand what drives them, what holds them back, and what kinds of support they wish existed.
Using a combination of informal interviews, community observations (Reddit, Threads, Facebook expat groups), and thematic analysis, I surfaced common patterns across a diverse set of motivations and anxieties.
These insights were then clustered into three recurring themes: Real Estate, Healthcare, and Financial Issues, revealing both shared pain points and distinct concerns across each category. The overwhelming number of questions centered around how to access or interpret hard-to-find, often confusing information. This validated the core value proposition of the app: users aren’t just looking for generic advice, they need a trustworthy, personalized assistant to demystify obscure systems and surface relevant, accurate guidance. The affinity map helped highlight this demand for clarity, reinforcing the app’s role as a go-to navigator through bureaucratic complexity.
These conversations and observations had a practical impact on every layer of the design: from the tone of the AI assistant to the prioritization of visa guidance. More than just solving a technical process, the design needed to reduce fear, build trust, and offer clear steps to guide users into a new life.
DESIGN GOALS
Design an intelligent, supportive assistant that:
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Simplifies the process of relocating to Portugal
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Personalizes guidance based on user lifestyle, income, and goals
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Offers real-time, trustworthy visa and housing info
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Bridges cultural and language gaps
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Uses AI to reduce decision paralysis, not replace human agency
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Embeds emotional reassurance and transparency
UX DESIGN
Designing Clarity, Trust & Personalization
Decision Flows
These flow charts illustrate how the app translates complex and emotionally charged decisions, such as securing the right visa, into guided, user-friendly pathways. Shaped by real questions uncovered during research, the designs aim to reduce confusion and offer clarity. Each chart reflects how the AI functions as a supportive partner, simplifying dense information into manageable steps that foster clarity, trust, and confidence throughout the relocation journey.
USER TESTING
Based on results from interviews, our goals were focused on adoption, emotional experience, and perceived friendliness:
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Does the interface feel conversational and supportive, or too rigid or robotic?
I wanted to understand if users felt like they were being guided by a helpful assistant versus a cold form. -
Do users feel emotionally reassured or overwhelmed by the flow?
Immigration can stir a lot of anxiety. I tested whether the wording and pacing helped reduce hesitation or added pressure. -
Does the tone strike the right balance between friendly and credible?
I examined whether the language built confidence without feeling too casual or vague. -
Is the flow simple enough to ease anxiety about complex paperwork?
One of the biggest blockers from earlier interviews was confusion about requirements. I tested if the logic felt like it simplified the visa decision, not made it worse. -
Do users understand the implications of their choices without extra explanation?
I looked for moments of confusion or clarification-seeking to determine if each button or question was self-explanatory.
TESTING PROTOTYPE