Locaweb redesigned the hosting panel used by 350,000 customers — where one wrong word generated 35% of call center calls.
Context
The scenario
Locaweb is Brazil’s leading digital hosting provider. I joined as Product Designer on the panel squad — where customers manage domains, email, DNS, databases, and install applications. Having known the operation as both a former customer and a competitor, that vantage point became a research method.
The problem
The panel was outdated, but the real problem went deeper: it was operational and linguistic. Customers couldn’t resolve DNS issues on their own — and the term “my site” throughout the interface caused deep confusion about what hosting actually was. As a result, 35% of call center calls were about these two pain points.
Research and method
Benchmark and data
2.5 months: listened to the market and support team. Benchmarked against external hosting panels alongside categorizing call center tickets.The terminology discovery
Mid-way through the information architecture work, a pattern emerged: “my site” was confusing customers. It wasn’t a naming issue — it was the root of a stuck operation.Validation and journeys
Usability testing validated the terminology change. We redesigned 15+ journeys that fed development for the next 2 years.
Mapping
The panel was reorganized around customer tasks, not Locaweb’s technical structure.
Terminology: “My site” → “Hosting” across the entire interface.
Structure: Cards became task-oriented — install WordPress, manage domains, configure email — instead of organized by technical area. The header with the domain highlighted became the standard across Cloud, Email, and Dedicated Server.
What started in the panel became shared language across products.
Result
The panel launched in December 2022. Within three months, the call center saw a complete drop in the two pain points that had accounted for 35% of support volume.
The journeys and information architecture became reference material — feeding Locaweb’s development roadmap for 2 years after launch.
It wasn’t just about eliminating calls. It was about giving the operation back the time it used to spend explaining the product.
