Paula Martinho · Digital Designer
Design & Creative Strategy for projects that matter: Shaped by systems thinking, driven by social impact, and built for responsible futures.
Services
UX Design
User research
Interface audit and benchmarking
Information architecture definition
Usability testing
UI Design
Visual identity design
Style guide
Design systems
Prototyping (web and mobile)
Web Design & Dev
Copywriting
Development in WordPress/Framer/Webflow/Carrd
Content management systems
SEO & accessibility
HTML & CSS
Digital Marketing
Creative and digital strategy
Paid media and paid search
Social media
Web content planning and creation
Performance and analytics
What I do
I design digital experiences that work for people and the systems around them.
Applying this in the context of criminal justice at IPS_Innovative Prison Systems, a consultancy and advisory firm, where I’ve led the redesign of their corporate website and designed websites for European projects.Currently, I'm designing the mobile experience for an offender management system, balancing user needs with complex requirements and operational constraints of correctional environments.
How I do it
From discovery to delivery, I keep the focus on clarity and usability.
I follow a human-centred design process, starting with research and the real context people live in. That means understanding the systems shaping their reality, before designining wireframes or mockups:Who are the users?
What constraints shape their decisions?
What does responsible design look like in this context?
The principles behind my practice
a) Empathy
b) Intentionality
c) Systems thinking
d) Responsibility
I see design as a way of keeping empathy at the heart of meaningful projects.These four principles shape the way I listen, decide, think about context, and lead my mission:To responsibly create digital experiences that move people, inspire action, and drive positive change in the world.
My work: Selected projects
Orfeão Caldense
Visual ID Design and Creative Strategy for the Choir Orfeão Caldense
The challenge: How to redesign Orfeão Caldense's visual system, preserving the symbolic heritage of 90 years of choral activity, while ensuring legibility, versatility, and immediate recognition on posters, social media profiles, and local press?
Services: Visual Identity Design · Web Design & Dev · Digital Marketing · Social Media
My role: Designer, responsible for the visual identity design proposal, producing content for social media profiles, paid ads, and setting up the website with the choir presentation and contact form.
LEADCOR - European Project
Designing the LEADCOR Game: Analog & Digital Experiences
The challenge: How to translate a leadership development model for correctional sector professionals into a facilitated board game and, simultaneously, into a digital prototype, while maintaining pedagogical rigor, playability, and visual coherence across two formats?
Services: Graphic design · Style guide · Digital game · Prototyping with AI
My role: Designer responsible for the conception and design of the materials for the Leadership game used in training workshops. Creation of the LEADCOR game's card set and board, preparation and export of print-optimized files, and prototyping of a digital version of the game using AI.
VICTORY - European Project
Building a Digital Repository for Victims and Professionals
In a context marked by fragmented information and difficult access to specialised resources, this project proposes the creation of a platform that centralises essential resources for victims of hate and extremism, as well as for the professionals dedicated to supporting them.The result is an informative repository that promotes the sharing of resources, institutional support and coordination between different stakeholders.
Services: UX/UI Design · Web Design & Dev
My role: UX/UI Designer, contributing to the platform's conception from the definition of the information architecture to the implementation in WordPress.
IPS_Innovative Prison Systems
IPS Corporate Website
Design Makeover
IPS was not communicating its innovative vision and extensive experience through its website.The challenge? To transform an outdated, static website into an interactive, engaging, functional and visually appealing hub that positions IPS as a leading consultancy in the Criminal Justice sector.
Services: UX/UI Design · Web Design & Development
My role: UX/UI Designer working independently, leading the project end-to-end, from research to implementation.
HORUS 360º iOMS - Prison/Offender Management System
Crafting the On-the-Go Experience for the HORUS 360º iOMS Mobile App
Transforming HORUS 360º iOMS into a mobile-first experience for correctional officers. Focused on usability and intuitive navigation, the interface aims to help professionals to manage their daily tasks anytime and anywhere.
Services: UX/UI Design · Design Systems · Prototyping with AI
My role: UX/UI Designer responsible for the definition and design of the software's mobile interaction flow.
Tasks:
- Mapping of the user journey, based on the mobile application user's main activities;
- Mapping of technical requirements adapted for the mobile app;
- Definition of user stories;
- Structuring of the interaction flow;
- Creation of mobile wireframes and mockups;
- Optimization of the experience for different usage contexts;
- Prototyping with AI (Claude).
Due to the sensitive nature of the information, this case study is password-protected. Please get in touch if you’d like to know more details.
More about the project:
FAIR PRESONS - European Project
Designing a Human-Centred UI for an AI-Powered Risk Assessment Tool
For the FAIR PRESONS project, the challenge was to design an AI-powered risk assessment form that feels intuitive, trustworthy, and respectful of the sensitive nature of data handled by Justice professionals.
Services: UX/UI Design · Visual Identity Design
My role: UX/UI Designer representing IPS as the consortium partner responsible for developing the front-end of the tool.
Main responsibility: Design the UI for the AI-powered Risk Assessment Form
Tasks:
- Defining style guidelines based on key design principles for consistency and accessibility.
- Structuring the sequence, architecture, and categorization of the content flow;
- Designing mockups for all components (form fields and results interpretation guide);
- Presenting “A Humanistic Approach to Designing an AI-Powered Risk Assessment Tool” at the 3rd FAIR PRESONS Consortium Meeting in Lisbon, to gather feedback and validate the core design decisions, ensuring the design is not only visually polished but also trustworthy.
Due to the sensitive nature of the information, this case study is password-protected. Please get in touch if you’d like to know more details.
More about the project:
About me
Hi/Olá!In 2018, I traded pastéis de nata for kanelsnegle and moved to Denmark to sharpen my digital skillset.That experience sparked my passion for Web and UX/UI Design — and taught me to approach creative problems from multiple angles.Since 2020, I've been working on social impact projects in Criminal Justice, growing from Comms & Digital Marketing Specialist into UX/UI Designer.In 2025, I co-founded CARE Creative Studio for freelancing projects with a Copywriter/Creative Strategist. We developed a new identity design for the Choir Orfeão Caldense, planned a campaign to collect sign-ups and produced content for social media, press and posters.I'm now based in Porto, Portugal, and looking forward to collaborating with other creative minds.
Work in progress. Expect ongoing refinements. A Portfolio is never done-done © 2026 Paula Martinho