The COVID-19 pandemic caused a rapid change in workplace dynamics with the forced adoption of remote/hybrid activities. However, best practices for managing distributed software development teams, especially in specialized contexts, are still evolving. This paper reports on the experience of conducting a 1.5-year software development project using a hybrid management approach with nationally distributed teams in Brazil to develop an unplugged intelligent mathematics tutoring system for low-technology educational environments. The study presents a discussion of practices and challenges observed during the project execution. The project delivered a mobile application for automated handwritten math problem correction and instructional material generation. This experience provides practical insights for managing complex, distributed software projects in similar contexts, contributing to deepening knowledge about educational inclusion from a management perspective and refining hybrid management approaches in remote work settings.

Geolocation emerges as an important tool in the surveillance and control of vector-borne diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, Zika, and urban yellow fever. In contrast to manual control methods, which are slow and prone to errors, geolocation can be utilized. This work incorporates the use of geolocation in a project that develops a technological solution for entomological surveillance and vector control of arboviruses, aiming to develop a computational system for registering this information. The main objectives of this work include the development and user validation of the geolocation data collection functionality during the registration of infestation sites, and the integration of relevant application features, such as the geographic registration of city blocks. Throughout the execution of the work, user-centered evaluations were carried out, involving agents from the State Health Department. This work contributes to accurately identifying arbovirus infestation points through geolocation, adding precision to the agent's geographic validation, and providing visual aid in route creation.

Arboviruses such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya remain a serious public health challenge in Brazil and other Latin American countries. Effective surveillance and vector control require integrated information systems to support planning and monitoring efforts. This study presents a heuristic evaluation of a web-based system developed for arbovirus control coordinators in Brazil, aiming to identify interface limitations and propose improvements based on user experience. The Design Science Research Methodology (DSRM) guided the study, and a structured questionnaire grounded in Nielsen’s Heuristics was applied. A total of 72 undergraduate students from technology-related programs participated in the evaluation. Each participant performed guided tasks within the system and provided feedback through both closed and open-ended questions. Results indicated positive perceptions regarding interface consistency and organization, while usability issues were identified in areas such as error prevention, flexibility, and feedback mechanisms. Statistical analysis revealed differences among participant groups, highlighting the influence of user profiles on perceived usability. The findings underscore the value of heuristic evaluation in improving public health digital tools and demonstrate the potential for adapting such systems to similar regional contexts across Latin America.

User experience (UX) techniques have been widely used in the software industry. However, in some contexts, such as software startups, carrying out UX work can be more challenging for several reasons, such as lack of resources and time. Nevertheless, another factor has challenged this work: the lack of UX specialists on the team. In this sense, scientific literature has dedicated efforts to understanding how non-UX professionals (e.g., developers) perceive the value of UX work and techniques. Therefore, this paper investigates non- UX professionals' perceptions of using the UX wireflow technique (a combination of wireframes with a user flow map). Through a case study involving eight professionals from a software startup in the agribusiness sector, we analyzed the participants' perceptions. We qualitatively examined the data obtained from a post-study interview. Our paper enhances the scientific literature understanding of integrating UX techniques into software development processes by non- UX professionals. It offers insights from these professionals, identifies potential benefits and challenges, highlights the importance of standards development and quality management, and acknowledges the paradigm shift occurring within development teams.

Educational environment settings have a finite number of resources distributed or shared between staff, professors, and students. It is essential to build efficient tools to manage these resources timely so they can be allocated where needed. This paper shows the process comprising distinct steps that went into redesigning a legacy classroom, lab, and equipment reservation system for a public university, going from a previously unwieldy system to a more modern and user-friendly implementation that practically utilizes design thinking and user-centered design principles. The first phase utilized a quantitative survey approach to hone in on specific pain points and create well-structured requirements, which were followed by the development phase that used software engineering and architecture to build an application more attuned to the sensibilities of the contemporaneous mobile-focused software landscape. An evaluation study then tested the application through a qualitative approach, conducting interviews with the professors to define its user base and when the tool would eventually be deployed. This paper contributes to the literature by providing a practical case study of design thinking and user-centered design principles to provide a better user experience.