In 2024, the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP) opened a new opportunity for students and graduates, allowing them to apply for isolated course units and expand their knowledge without enrolling in a full degree program.

The challenge was to create the first digital system capable of managing these applications, accommodating both internal and external candidates. Beyond processing applications, the platform had to ensure automation, transparency, and control for the academic services team, while offering candidates a simple, guided, and reliable experience.

The ideation process began in an unconventional way. Early wireframes were built in Excel, allowing the internal development team to easily review and collaborate. From there, we refined the structure, mapped every user flow, and identified key touchpoints for candidates and the academic team.

The final platform delivers a seamless end-to-end experience, candidates can apply, track their status, and receive results in real time, while FEUP gains automated data-driven decisions and clearer oversight of the process.

On launch day, adoption was immediate. Within the first 24 hours, 716 applications were submitted, representing 59% of the total. Across the first phase, 1,209 applications were processed, with 89% successfully submitted and validated.

A first edition that set the foundation for the future of academic digitalization at FEUP, where transparency, accessibility, and automation converge in a single, intuitive experience.