{ Design + Code }
Hey, welcome.I move rectanglesaround (professionally).
I'm Rafa, a Design Specialist and Developer. 16 years in, moving between graphic design, UI/UX and code, usually all in the same week.
Started with a pencil. Still haven't put it down, just added a keyboard.
I've been making things since before I can remember. Graphic design was my birthplace, but somewhere along the way code showed up, then UI/UX, and I realised I didn't have to choose. These days I sit in the overlap: the person who can design the interface and also ship it.
Sixteen years in the industry, two countries, and a habit of teaching what I learn, because explaining something properly is the fastest way to actually understand it. Off the clock: Rio de Janeiro native, dad to Luna and Théo, a coffee habit that borders on dependency, and a Funko Pop shelf I insist is "office decor."
Five things I'm genuinely good at. No filler.
Graphic Design
Where it all started. Posters, print, digital. If it needs a grid and a point of view, I'm in.
UI/UX
Interfaces people actually enjoy using. Figma first, obsessively detail checked.
Front-end
Taking the design and making it real. HTML, CSS, JS, Webflow. No "it works in Figma."
Branding
Logos, systems, a visual language that still holds up on slide 40 of the deck.
Teaching
Explaining is how I learn twice. Taught UI/UX and web dev to more students than I can count.
