Tangerina Design System

The problem: two ecosystems, no shared standard

The GOL Smiles ecosystem was operating with two fundamentally different realities. On one side, Smiles had a more mature digital structure, with better UX practices and more evolved design assets. On the other, GOL’s digital products were outdated, inconsistent, and difficult to scale, relying on legacy files, poor documentation, and fragmented patterns.

This gap created a structural problem: two design systems, two levels of maturity, and no shared foundation across the group. Designers and developers constantly faced uncertainty, duplicated efforts, and recurring discussions about basic interface decisions. Even simple elements like buttons, inputs, and spacing varied significantly between products, increasing cognitive load internally and inconsistency externally.

Smiles is significantly ahead of GOL in terms of digital experience. GOL needs to reach the same level of design, interface, and user experience standards.

Celso Ferrer

CEO GOL Group

This statement made the challenge explicit. The problem was no longer isolated, it became systemic.

The approach: one system to connect everything

The hypothesis was not to evolve two systems independently, but to create a unified design language capable of connecting both ecosystems. The Design System needed to act as a bridge, aligning product, technology, and design under a shared structure. Instead of forcing one system over the other, the approach focused on finding a balanced middle ground. This required making deliberate decisions about visual identity, interaction patterns, and structural foundations.

One of the most critical challenges was reconciling brand differences. For example, Smiles relied heavily on rounded interfaces, while GOL used sharper, more rigid shapes. The decision was not to choose one over the other, but to define a cohesive system that could represent both brands consistently. This extended to typography, spacing, color systems, and component behavior. The system was designed as a living and collaborative structure. Rather than a static library, Tangerina became a shared source of truth, continuously evolving through contributions from designers and developers.

The execution: from fragmented assets to a scalable system

The execution focused on building a robust and accessible foundation. This work was developed in close collaboration with Môre and Meiuca, aligning multiple teams under a shared system. Components, tokens, and patterns were restructured to ensure consistency and usability across products. At the same time, documentation became a central pillar of the system, addressing one of the biggest pain points from the previous setups.

Clarity replaced ambiguity. Reusability replaced duplication. Designers gained access to a structured and intuitive Figma library, while developers worked with a consistent implementation layer through a dedicated code library.

Our Design System was created to connect different journeys across a large ecosystem. Tangerina brings together technology, usability, and product to place customers at the center of decisions.

Natalie Nodari

Design Manager

Concrete inconsistencies were systematically resolved. Elements like buttons, inputs, and layout structures were standardized, eliminating variations that previously required constant discussion. The system reduced the need for alignment meetings, as decisions were now embedded in the system itself. In parallel, an institutional website and video were created to communicate the system internally and reinforce its strategic role. Translating the complexity of the system into a clear and compelling narrative was one of the most demanding parts of the project, requiring careful synthesis of concepts, processes, and impact.

Tangerina is one of the essential pillars that will unify and connect the brands within our group. It enables us to scale solutions efficiently and focus on what truly drives customer satisfaction.

Carla Fonseca

CEO Smiles & VP GOL

The system enabled alignment across multiple journeys within a complex ecosystem, ensuring that different products shared the same visual and usability foundation while maintaining flexibility for continuous evolution.