David Leggett

UX Design Leader in Finance & Design Systems

About me

I build teams using innovative practices like interactive Design Environments that help global teams ship faster, align better, and deliver measurable impact.

Beyond Handoff: Building Systems of Impact

Design leadership is not about managing outputs, it’s about building systems that multiply impact. My approach centers on transforming design from a supporting function into a strategic driver of business value. Where designers, developers, and business partners operate in true alignment, with clarity of purpose and the tools to act quickly. I lead teams to work within environments where design is persistent, not episodic; where ideas aren’t handed off at the end, but evolve continuously across design, technology, and business. This shift reframes design as infrastructure, accelerating innovation, reducing delivery risk, and making alignment a default rather than a fight.

 

At the core of this philosophy is the Design Environment: a framework where prototypes, components, and workflows serve as a living artifact for teams. By aligning design systems directly with development technologies, I enable teams to validate assumptions earlier, test usability on demand, and scale solutions with confidence. The outcome is not incremental improvement, but exponential efficiency—fewer late-stage surprises, tighter integration across disciplines, and a culture of evidence-based decision-making. In this model, teams don’t wait for clarity, they build it together.

 

My mandate is to architect these conditions at scale. I set vision, create structures that sustain innovation, and ensure design is positioned as a co-equal in shaping strategy, not just execution. I champion transparency, measurable outcomes, and a relentless focus on user value as the most direct path to business results. My leadership creates teams that are not only high-performing, but trusted partners to executives and stakeholders—teams that deliver not just polished interfaces, but accelerated business momentum.

Trusted by Leading Organizations

Studies

Design Environments: Test and deliver faster with strategic interactive artifacts

Test and deliver faster with strategic interactive artifacts.

Coming Soon ...

Advancing research and creating value in Silicon Valley Bank’s Client Onboarding portal

Creating value through research based design in Silicon Valley Bank’s Client Onboarding portal.

Coming Soon ...

Project Leadership: From research project to client proposals at Guidewire Software

Design advocacy - from research project to client proposals.

Coming Soon ...

Shift Left: Establishing a design-forward culture in Citi’s Compliance team

Establishing a design-forward culture in Citi’s Compliance team

Final thoughts

My mandate is to architect the conditions to produce excellent, valuable experiences at scale. I set vision, create structures that sustain innovation, and ensure design is positioned as a co-equal in shaping strategy, not just execution. I champion transparency, measurable outcomes, and a relentless focus on user value as the most direct path to business results. My leadership creates teams that are not only high-performing, but trusted partners to executives and stakeholders—teams that deliver not just polished interfaces, but accelerated business momentum.

Articles & Special Mentions

3 Ways 'Jobs-To-Be-Done' Improves Application Development

How JTBD can be used to enhance product innovation by uncovering customer motivations.

A Voice for Design in Insurance

How Guidewire's design team leverages user-centric design to enhance trust, efficiency, and satisfaction in insurance products.

Miro: How Guidewire Made Collaboration Central to Customer & Employee Experience

The tools Guidewire uses to enhance collaboration, improve user experience, and streamline the design process.

Contact me

David Leggett

Contact

UX Design Leader in Finance & Design Systems

About me

I build teams using innovative practices like interactive Design Environments that help global teams ship faster, align better, and deliver measurable impact.

Beyond Handoff: Building Systems of Impact

Design leadership is not about managing outputs, it’s about building systems that multiply impact. My approach centers on transforming design from a supporting function into a strategic driver of business value. Where designers, developers, and business partners operate in true alignment, with clarity of purpose and the tools to act quickly. I lead teams to work within environments where design is persistent, not episodic; where ideas aren’t handed off at the end, but evolve continuously across design, technology, and business. This shift reframes design as infrastructure, accelerating innovation, reducing delivery risk, and making alignment a default rather than a fight.

 

At the core of this philosophy is the Design Environment: a framework where prototypes, components, and workflows serve as a living artifact for teams. By aligning design systems directly with development technologies, I enable teams to validate assumptions earlier, test usability on demand, and scale solutions with confidence. The outcome is not incremental improvement, but exponential efficiency—fewer late-stage surprises, tighter integration across disciplines, and a culture of evidence-based decision-making. In this model, teams don’t wait for clarity, they build it together.

Trusted by Leading Organizations

Studies

Design Environments

Test and deliver faster with strategic interactive artifacts.

Coming Soon ...

Advancing research

Creating value through research based design in Silicon Valley Bank’s Client Onboarding portal.

Coming Soon ...

Project Leadership

Design advocacy - from research project to client proposals.

Coming Soon ...

Shift Left

Establishing a design-forward culture in Citi’s Compliance team.

Final thoughts

My mandate is to architect the conditions to produce excellent, valuable experiences at scale. I set vision, create structures that sustain innovation, and ensure design is positioned as a co-equal in shaping strategy, not just execution. I champion transparency, measurable outcomes, and a relentless focus on user value as the most direct path to business results. My leadership creates teams that are not only high-performing, but trusted partners to executives and stakeholders—teams that deliver not just polished interfaces, but accelerated business momentum.

Articles & Special Mentions

3 Ways 'Jobs-To-Be-Done' Improves Application Development

How JTBD can be used to enhance product innovation by uncovering customer motivations.

A Voice for Design in Insurance

How Guidewire's design team leverages user-centric design to enhance trust, efficiency, and satisfaction in insurance products.

Miro: How Guidewire Made Collaboration Central to Customer & Employee Experience

The tools Guidewire uses to enhance collaboration, improve user experience, and streamline the design process.

Contact me