Rafael Estrela - Portfolio

Role

Design Director

Industry

EdTech / Gaming / Education

Platform

Web Platform · Mobile App · Marketing & Social Media

Overview

ChessKid is a leading educational chess platform for children. As Design Director for nearly three years, I led the visual, UX/UI, and brand evolution of the product, ensuring consistency, scalability, and usability across platforms.

The Problem

Quick product and team growth led to visual inconsistency, fragmented brand expression, and the absence of a scalable design system, impacting usability and cross-team efficiency.

The Need

Establish a unified brand and design framework, improve product usability, and enable scalable collaboration across product, development, and marketing teams.

My Contribution

I led and mentored the design team, overseeing UX/UI, brand, and visual strategy. I coordinated closely with product, development, marketing, and leadership teams, and managed task planning and design execution across initiatives.

ChessKid Design System and Brand overview

ChessKid platform UI refresh - Play vs Bots

ChessKid platform UI refresh - Chess Terms

ChessKid platform UI refresh - Onboarding

Character redesign and visual storytelling

Campaign and Events visuals for Marketing

Bot character design, animation, and cross-device adaptation

Key Outcomes / Impact

Unified visual identity across web, mobile, and marketing channels
Improved usability and onboarding experience
Increased design efficiency through systemization and shared guidelines

Leadership & Team Structure

Design Director leading a multidisciplinary team
Cross-functional collaboration with Product, Engineering, Marketing, and Leadership
Ownership of design planning, reviews, and long-term design strategy

Design System Highlights

Creation of a scalable Design System for product and marketing
Comprehensive Brand Guide to ensure visual consistency
Reusable UI components, patterns, and templates for faster delivery

ChessKid platform UI refresh

ChessKid.com