Colleague spotlight: meet Ugne Cerniauskaite
Ugne Cerniauskaite is a UX Designer at Leighton and an advocate for inclusive design and accessibility.
In this month's colleague spotlight, Ugne reflects on her career journey so far, shares why championing accessibility and inclusive design is so important to her, and looks ahead to where she hopes her career will take her next.
As a UX Designer, I work to improve digital products by creating user-centred solutions and help to shape the UX strategy across the business. Currently, I’m engaged with one of our more recent customers, Hays Recruitment, where I am working to understand their goals, identify pain points and uncover any challenges their users face. Through user research, stakeholder workshops and usability testing, I’m gathering the insights needed to recommend the most effective approach to UX moving forward, whether that’s refining an existing experience, validating ideas through prototypes or testing new concepts with users.
I act as the bridge between business objectives and technical delivery, ensuring solutions are not only intuitive and accessible for users, but also aligned with organisational goals and technical feasible.
I have been with Leighton for around a year and a half. I was initially attracted to the company because of the flexibility and the culture. Throughout the interview process it was clear that UX wasn’t just seen as another service, it was genuinely understood, valued and recognised as a long-term investment for clients.
I was also impressed by Leighton’s understanding of UX and the role it plays in delivering better outcomes for customers. There was a clear vision for how UX would continue to evolve within the business, along with a refreshing level of transparency about that journey. Since joining, I’ve had the freedom to apply my skills, champion UX best practices and help shape solutions that make a meaningful impact for both our customers and their users.
I’ve always been inquisitive. I studied Product Design at the Glasgow School of Art where I developed a particular interest in understanding the thinking patterns, habits and intuitive decisions people make and how these insights drive innovation. From there, I gravitated towards digital design the digital side of things, specialising in websites and apps. It was during this time that I realised I wanted to build a career in creating those digital experiences for customers.
As my career has progressed, I’ve had the opportunity to work across a variety of industries as an in-house designer in both corporate and start up environments. Then when an opportunity came up, I decided to try a consultant’s hat on. I enjoy the variety it brings – working with different customers, solving challenges and applying UX thinking to create solutions that make a real impact.
Rather than focusing on a single project I’d like to say I’m most proud of my ability to understand complex systems and processes, break them down and translate them into simple, intuitive digital experiences. A key part of my role is being able to understand how something works, empathise with the people using it and communicate those insights clearly to both customers and delivery teams. Building trust with the people I work with is also something I value highly. By creating strong relationships and bringing together different perspectives, I can help teams align around the right problems to solve and deliver solutions that genuinely meet user needs.
I love seeing the value that UX design creates for users. There’s a saying that “great design goes unnoticed” because when an experience is intuitive and seamless, people can simply get on with what they’re trying to achieve. I see that as one of the biggest compliments a designer can receive.
Ultimately, my goal is to remove friction and make digital experiences as simple and as smooth as possible. Knowing I’ve helped create something that genuinely improves the user’s experience and delivers better outcomes for the customer is what brings me the greatest satisfaction in my role.
Stakeholder management is one of the most important skills a UX designer can have. A key part of my role is bringing people together, aligning different perspectives and creating a shared understanding of the problem we’re trying to solve. By bridging the gap between customer ambitions, user needs and technical constraints, I can ensure everyone is working towards the same outcome, which when working on a large project with lots of moving part is really important.
The culture at Leighton is built around people who are passionate about what they do and always willing to share their knowledge. Everyone is approachable, supportive and happy to help, which makes it a great environment to learn and grow.
One of the things I enjoy most is talking to colleagues from across the business. Even if I don’t fully understand every aspect of their role, I always value the opportunity to learn from their experiences. It’s that openness, curiosity and willingness to collaborate that makes Leighton such a rewarding place to work.
I’ve been fortunate to get involved in several community-led events, including TechNExt, where I took part in a panel discussion and co-delivered a workshop on design systems and digital accessibility. I’ve also had the opportunity to mentor someone transitioning into a UX role, which was a particularly rewarding experience.
It’s opportunities like these that allow me to connect with the wider UX community, continue to develop skills such as public speaking and mentoring and share knowledge with others.
I want to continue pushing myself outside of my comfort zone by speaking at and attending larger scale industry events. I’ve always found that listening to a great talk can challenge your thinking, introduce new perspectives and leave you feeling inspired to approach your work differently.
Over time, I’d love to reach a point where I can create that same impact for others by sharing my own experiences, hopefully leaving a lasting impact on their roles and careers.
I’m originally from Lithuania, but I now live in Scotland, so I have an accent that often keeps people guessing about where I am from.
I love cooking, I’m often experimenting with dishes from around the world. I’ve also recently started taking up surfing, it’s still early days but being able to stand up is a huge win!
I think there’s still a lack of understanding about what UX actually involves. It’s often seen as being purely about visual design, when in reality that’s only a small part of the role. Good UX is about understanding how people think, empathising with their needs and designing experiences that genuinely solve problems.
It also requires a genuine curiosity about how products work behind the scenes. While I don’t come from a technical background, I’ve learned the importance of understanding enough about the technology to make informed design decisions and collaborate effectively with engineers. You don’t need to know every technical detail, but you do need to be curious, ask the right questions and look beyond what’s immediately obvious. That’s often where the most valuable insights come from.
If you’re struggling with task prioritisation, ask yourself one simple question: On a scale of 1-10, how much energy does this task really deserve? If the answer is below a six, then it’s probably not worth losing sleep over. Save your time and focus on the things that will make the biggest impact.
Give yourself time. If you’re passionate about something, focus on taking it one step at a time. It’s easy to become fixated on reaching the end goal as quickly as possible, but I believe growth happens throughout the journey. Enjoy the process, celebrate the small wins and trust that consistent progress will get you where you want to be.
Ugne Cerniauskaite is a UX Designer at Leighton and an advocate for inclusive design and accessibility.
In this month's colleague spotlight, Ugne reflects on her career journey so far, shares why championing accessibility and inclusive design is so important to her, and looks ahead to where she hopes her career will take her next.
As a UX Designer, I work to improve digital products by creating user-centred solutions and help to shape the UX strategy across the business. Currently, I’m engaged with one of our more recent customers, Hays Recruitment, where I am working to understand their goals, identify pain points and uncover any challenges their users face. Through user research, stakeholder workshops and usability testing, I’m gathering the insights needed to recommend the most effective approach to UX moving forward, whether that’s refining an existing experience, validating ideas through prototypes or testing new concepts with users.
I act as the bridge between business objectives and technical delivery, ensuring solutions are not only intuitive and accessible for users, but also aligned with organisational goals and technical feasible.
I have been with Leighton for around a year and a half. I was initially attracted to the company because of the flexibility and the culture. Throughout the interview process it was clear that UX wasn’t just seen as another service, it was genuinely understood, valued and recognised as a long-term investment for clients.
I was also impressed by Leighton’s understanding of UX and the role it plays in delivering better outcomes for customers. There was a clear vision for how UX would continue to evolve within the business, along with a refreshing level of transparency about that journey. Since joining, I’ve had the freedom to apply my skills, champion UX best practices and help shape solutions that make a meaningful impact for both our customers and their users.
I’ve always been inquisitive. I studied Product Design at the Glasgow School of Art where I developed a particular interest in understanding the thinking patterns, habits and intuitive decisions people make and how these insights drive innovation. From there, I gravitated towards digital design the digital side of things, specialising in websites and apps. It was during this time that I realised I wanted to build a career in creating those digital experiences for customers.
As my career has progressed, I’ve had the opportunity to work across a variety of industries as an in-house designer in both corporate and start up environments. Then when an opportunity came up, I decided to try a consultant’s hat on. I enjoy the variety it brings – working with different customers, solving challenges and applying UX thinking to create solutions that make a real impact.
Rather than focusing on a single project I’d like to say I’m most proud of my ability to understand complex systems and processes, break them down and translate them into simple, intuitive digital experiences. A key part of my role is being able to understand how something works, empathise with the people using it and communicate those insights clearly to both customers and delivery teams. Building trust with the people I work with is also something I value highly. By creating strong relationships and bringing together different perspectives, I can help teams align around the right problems to solve and deliver solutions that genuinely meet user needs.
I love seeing the value that UX design creates for users. There’s a saying that “great design goes unnoticed” because when an experience is intuitive and seamless, people can simply get on with what they’re trying to achieve. I see that as one of the biggest compliments a designer can receive.
Ultimately, my goal is to remove friction and make digital experiences as simple and as smooth as possible. Knowing I’ve helped create something that genuinely improves the user’s experience and delivers better outcomes for the customer is what brings me the greatest satisfaction in my role.
Stakeholder management is one of the most important skills a UX designer can have. A key part of my role is bringing people together, aligning different perspectives and creating a shared understanding of the problem we’re trying to solve. By bridging the gap between customer ambitions, user needs and technical constraints, I can ensure everyone is working towards the same outcome, which when working on a large project with lots of moving part is really important.
The culture at Leighton is built around people who are passionate about what they do and always willing to share their knowledge. Everyone is approachable, supportive and happy to help, which makes it a great environment to learn and grow.
One of the things I enjoy most is talking to colleagues from across the business. Even if I don’t fully understand every aspect of their role, I always value the opportunity to learn from their experiences. It’s that openness, curiosity and willingness to collaborate that makes Leighton such a rewarding place to work.
I’ve been fortunate to get involved in several community-led events, including TechNExt, where I took part in a panel discussion and co-delivered a workshop on design systems and digital accessibility. I’ve also had the opportunity to mentor someone transitioning into a UX role, which was a particularly rewarding experience.
It’s opportunities like these that allow me to connect with the wider UX community, continue to develop skills such as public speaking and mentoring and share knowledge with others.
I want to continue pushing myself outside of my comfort zone by speaking at and attending larger scale industry events. I’ve always found that listening to a great talk can challenge your thinking, introduce new perspectives and leave you feeling inspired to approach your work differently.
Over time, I’d love to reach a point where I can create that same impact for others by sharing my own experiences, hopefully leaving a lasting impact on their roles and careers.
I’m originally from Lithuania, but I now live in Scotland, so I have an accent that often keeps people guessing about where I am from.
I love cooking, I’m often experimenting with dishes from around the world. I’ve also recently started taking up surfing, it’s still early days but being able to stand up is a huge win!
I think there’s still a lack of understanding about what UX actually involves. It’s often seen as being purely about visual design, when in reality that’s only a small part of the role. Good UX is about understanding how people think, empathising with their needs and designing experiences that genuinely solve problems.
It also requires a genuine curiosity about how products work behind the scenes. While I don’t come from a technical background, I’ve learned the importance of understanding enough about the technology to make informed design decisions and collaborate effectively with engineers. You don’t need to know every technical detail, but you do need to be curious, ask the right questions and look beyond what’s immediately obvious. That’s often where the most valuable insights come from.
If you’re struggling with task prioritisation, ask yourself one simple question: On a scale of 1-10, how much energy does this task really deserve? If the answer is below a six, then it’s probably not worth losing sleep over. Save your time and focus on the things that will make the biggest impact.
Give yourself time. If you’re passionate about something, focus on taking it one step at a time. It’s easy to become fixated on reaching the end goal as quickly as possible, but I believe growth happens throughout the journey. Enjoy the process, celebrate the small wins and trust that consistent progress will get you where you want to be.
Ugne Cerniauskaite is a UX Designer at Leighton and an advocate for inclusive design and accessibility.
In this month's colleague spotlight, Ugne reflects on her career journey so far, shares why championing accessibility and inclusive design is so important to her, and looks ahead to where she hopes her career will take her next.
As a UX Designer, I work to improve digital products by creating user-centred solutions and help to shape the UX strategy across the business. Currently, I’m engaged with one of our more recent customers, Hays Recruitment, where I am working to understand their goals, identify pain points and uncover any challenges their users face. Through user research, stakeholder workshops and usability testing, I’m gathering the insights needed to recommend the most effective approach to UX moving forward, whether that’s refining an existing experience, validating ideas through prototypes or testing new concepts with users.
I act as the bridge between business objectives and technical delivery, ensuring solutions are not only intuitive and accessible for users, but also aligned with organisational goals and technical feasible.
I have been with Leighton for around a year and a half. I was initially attracted to the company because of the flexibility and the culture. Throughout the interview process it was clear that UX wasn’t just seen as another service, it was genuinely understood, valued and recognised as a long-term investment for clients.
I was also impressed by Leighton’s understanding of UX and the role it plays in delivering better outcomes for customers. There was a clear vision for how UX would continue to evolve within the business, along with a refreshing level of transparency about that journey. Since joining, I’ve had the freedom to apply my skills, champion UX best practices and help shape solutions that make a meaningful impact for both our customers and their users.
I’ve always been inquisitive. I studied Product Design at the Glasgow School of Art where I developed a particular interest in understanding the thinking patterns, habits and intuitive decisions people make and how these insights drive innovation. From there, I gravitated towards digital design the digital side of things, specialising in websites and apps. It was during this time that I realised I wanted to build a career in creating those digital experiences for customers.
As my career has progressed, I’ve had the opportunity to work across a variety of industries as an in-house designer in both corporate and start up environments. Then when an opportunity came up, I decided to try a consultant’s hat on. I enjoy the variety it brings – working with different customers, solving challenges and applying UX thinking to create solutions that make a real impact.
Rather than focusing on a single project I’d like to say I’m most proud of my ability to understand complex systems and processes, break them down and translate them into simple, intuitive digital experiences. A key part of my role is being able to understand how something works, empathise with the people using it and communicate those insights clearly to both customers and delivery teams. Building trust with the people I work with is also something I value highly. By creating strong relationships and bringing together different perspectives, I can help teams align around the right problems to solve and deliver solutions that genuinely meet user needs.
I love seeing the value that UX design creates for users. There’s a saying that “great design goes unnoticed” because when an experience is intuitive and seamless, people can simply get on with what they’re trying to achieve. I see that as one of the biggest compliments a designer can receive.
Ultimately, my goal is to remove friction and make digital experiences as simple and as smooth as possible. Knowing I’ve helped create something that genuinely improves the user’s experience and delivers better outcomes for the customer is what brings me the greatest satisfaction in my role.
Stakeholder management is one of the most important skills a UX designer can have. A key part of my role is bringing people together, aligning different perspectives and creating a shared understanding of the problem we’re trying to solve. By bridging the gap between customer ambitions, user needs and technical constraints, I can ensure everyone is working towards the same outcome, which when working on a large project with lots of moving part is really important.
The culture at Leighton is built around people who are passionate about what they do and always willing to share their knowledge. Everyone is approachable, supportive and happy to help, which makes it a great environment to learn and grow.
One of the things I enjoy most is talking to colleagues from across the business. Even if I don’t fully understand every aspect of their role, I always value the opportunity to learn from their experiences. It’s that openness, curiosity and willingness to collaborate that makes Leighton such a rewarding place to work.
I’ve been fortunate to get involved in several community-led events, including TechNExt, where I took part in a panel discussion and co-delivered a workshop on design systems and digital accessibility. I’ve also had the opportunity to mentor someone transitioning into a UX role, which was a particularly rewarding experience.
It’s opportunities like these that allow me to connect with the wider UX community, continue to develop skills such as public speaking and mentoring and share knowledge with others.
I want to continue pushing myself outside of my comfort zone by speaking at and attending larger scale industry events. I’ve always found that listening to a great talk can challenge your thinking, introduce new perspectives and leave you feeling inspired to approach your work differently.
Over time, I’d love to reach a point where I can create that same impact for others by sharing my own experiences, hopefully leaving a lasting impact on their roles and careers.
I’m originally from Lithuania, but I now live in Scotland, so I have an accent that often keeps people guessing about where I am from.
I love cooking, I’m often experimenting with dishes from around the world. I’ve also recently started taking up surfing, it’s still early days but being able to stand up is a huge win!
I think there’s still a lack of understanding about what UX actually involves. It’s often seen as being purely about visual design, when in reality that’s only a small part of the role. Good UX is about understanding how people think, empathising with their needs and designing experiences that genuinely solve problems.
It also requires a genuine curiosity about how products work behind the scenes. While I don’t come from a technical background, I’ve learned the importance of understanding enough about the technology to make informed design decisions and collaborate effectively with engineers. You don’t need to know every technical detail, but you do need to be curious, ask the right questions and look beyond what’s immediately obvious. That’s often where the most valuable insights come from.
If you’re struggling with task prioritisation, ask yourself one simple question: On a scale of 1-10, how much energy does this task really deserve? If the answer is below a six, then it’s probably not worth losing sleep over. Save your time and focus on the things that will make the biggest impact.
Give yourself time. If you’re passionate about something, focus on taking it one step at a time. It’s easy to become fixated on reaching the end goal as quickly as possible, but I believe growth happens throughout the journey. Enjoy the process, celebrate the small wins and trust that consistent progress will get you where you want to be.
Ugne Cerniauskaite is a UX Designer at Leighton and an advocate for inclusive design and accessibility.
In this month's colleague spotlight, Ugne reflects on her career journey so far, shares why championing accessibility and inclusive design is so important to her, and looks ahead to where she hopes her career will take her next.
As a UX Designer, I work to improve digital products by creating user-centred solutions and help to shape the UX strategy across the business. Currently, I’m engaged with one of our more recent customers, Hays Recruitment, where I am working to understand their goals, identify pain points and uncover any challenges their users face. Through user research, stakeholder workshops and usability testing, I’m gathering the insights needed to recommend the most effective approach to UX moving forward, whether that’s refining an existing experience, validating ideas through prototypes or testing new concepts with users.
I act as the bridge between business objectives and technical delivery, ensuring solutions are not only intuitive and accessible for users, but also aligned with organisational goals and technical feasible.
I have been with Leighton for around a year and a half. I was initially attracted to the company because of the flexibility and the culture. Throughout the interview process it was clear that UX wasn’t just seen as another service, it was genuinely understood, valued and recognised as a long-term investment for clients.
I was also impressed by Leighton’s understanding of UX and the role it plays in delivering better outcomes for customers. There was a clear vision for how UX would continue to evolve within the business, along with a refreshing level of transparency about that journey. Since joining, I’ve had the freedom to apply my skills, champion UX best practices and help shape solutions that make a meaningful impact for both our customers and their users.
I’ve always been inquisitive. I studied Product Design at the Glasgow School of Art where I developed a particular interest in understanding the thinking patterns, habits and intuitive decisions people make and how these insights drive innovation. From there, I gravitated towards digital design the digital side of things, specialising in websites and apps. It was during this time that I realised I wanted to build a career in creating those digital experiences for customers.
As my career has progressed, I’ve had the opportunity to work across a variety of industries as an in-house designer in both corporate and start up environments. Then when an opportunity came up, I decided to try a consultant’s hat on. I enjoy the variety it brings – working with different customers, solving challenges and applying UX thinking to create solutions that make a real impact.
Rather than focusing on a single project I’d like to say I’m most proud of my ability to understand complex systems and processes, break them down and translate them into simple, intuitive digital experiences. A key part of my role is being able to understand how something works, empathise with the people using it and communicate those insights clearly to both customers and delivery teams. Building trust with the people I work with is also something I value highly. By creating strong relationships and bringing together different perspectives, I can help teams align around the right problems to solve and deliver solutions that genuinely meet user needs.
I love seeing the value that UX design creates for users. There’s a saying that “great design goes unnoticed” because when an experience is intuitive and seamless, people can simply get on with what they’re trying to achieve. I see that as one of the biggest compliments a designer can receive.
Ultimately, my goal is to remove friction and make digital experiences as simple and as smooth as possible. Knowing I’ve helped create something that genuinely improves the user’s experience and delivers better outcomes for the customer is what brings me the greatest satisfaction in my role.
Stakeholder management is one of the most important skills a UX designer can have. A key part of my role is bringing people together, aligning different perspectives and creating a shared understanding of the problem we’re trying to solve. By bridging the gap between customer ambitions, user needs and technical constraints, I can ensure everyone is working towards the same outcome, which when working on a large project with lots of moving part is really important.
The culture at Leighton is built around people who are passionate about what they do and always willing to share their knowledge. Everyone is approachable, supportive and happy to help, which makes it a great environment to learn and grow.
One of the things I enjoy most is talking to colleagues from across the business. Even if I don’t fully understand every aspect of their role, I always value the opportunity to learn from their experiences. It’s that openness, curiosity and willingness to collaborate that makes Leighton such a rewarding place to work.
I’ve been fortunate to get involved in several community-led events, including TechNExt, where I took part in a panel discussion and co-delivered a workshop on design systems and digital accessibility. I’ve also had the opportunity to mentor someone transitioning into a UX role, which was a particularly rewarding experience.
It’s opportunities like these that allow me to connect with the wider UX community, continue to develop skills such as public speaking and mentoring and share knowledge with others.
I want to continue pushing myself outside of my comfort zone by speaking at and attending larger scale industry events. I’ve always found that listening to a great talk can challenge your thinking, introduce new perspectives and leave you feeling inspired to approach your work differently.
Over time, I’d love to reach a point where I can create that same impact for others by sharing my own experiences, hopefully leaving a lasting impact on their roles and careers.
I’m originally from Lithuania, but I now live in Scotland, so I have an accent that often keeps people guessing about where I am from.
I love cooking, I’m often experimenting with dishes from around the world. I’ve also recently started taking up surfing, it’s still early days but being able to stand up is a huge win!
I think there’s still a lack of understanding about what UX actually involves. It’s often seen as being purely about visual design, when in reality that’s only a small part of the role. Good UX is about understanding how people think, empathising with their needs and designing experiences that genuinely solve problems.
It also requires a genuine curiosity about how products work behind the scenes. While I don’t come from a technical background, I’ve learned the importance of understanding enough about the technology to make informed design decisions and collaborate effectively with engineers. You don’t need to know every technical detail, but you do need to be curious, ask the right questions and look beyond what’s immediately obvious. That’s often where the most valuable insights come from.
If you’re struggling with task prioritisation, ask yourself one simple question: On a scale of 1-10, how much energy does this task really deserve? If the answer is below a six, then it’s probably not worth losing sleep over. Save your time and focus on the things that will make the biggest impact.
Give yourself time. If you’re passionate about something, focus on taking it one step at a time. It’s easy to become fixated on reaching the end goal as quickly as possible, but I believe growth happens throughout the journey. Enjoy the process, celebrate the small wins and trust that consistent progress will get you where you want to be.
