Nicki Lever
I have earned my stripes during a career that encompasses the creative, analytical and technical. I'm incredibly lucky to have worked for some of the market leaders in the travel industry. My focus: Where the user is at the heart of what I do, I follow a user-centred design (UCD) approach to identify opportunities to optimise the customer journey and create consistent, graceful and simple products.
Announcement: 28th November 2025
The time has come for me to sign off as Director of The Juniper Studio after five incredible, challenging, hilarious, character-building years.
It’s a strange feeling to step away from something you’ve poured so much of yourself into. When Jodie and I decided to start Juniper (named after our love and appreciation of good Gin), it wasn’t because we had a perfect plan or a shiny business vision board. But given we’d just both been made redundant right before the world shut down, suddenly everything we thought was secure felt very bloody fragile!
What we did have was trust. After five years of working together (including the early days when he was technically my manager!), we already knew how well we problem-solved, communicated, and supported each other. Redundancy basically forced our hand, but Juniper came naturally. So we bet on ourselves, and the rest is history.The last five years have been a baptism of fire in the best possible way. I’ve learned more than I ever expected to:
- How to wear seventeen hats before lunchtime
- How to navigate pitch meetings we had no business being in (but somehow won)
- How to manage teams and clients spread across multiple time zones
- How to keep a business moving even when life outside the laptop felt completely chaotic.It has been humbling, exhilarating, exhausting, and 100% worth it.
Now it’s time for my next chapter. I’m that nervous/excited to face something new, but I’m also crazy/proud to leave knowing Juniper is in the safest hands.
Thank you note for Jodie: Thank you for the last decade(!). For backing me, challenging me, listening to me, and knowing the exact moment to take s**t off my plate when I pretended I'm cool and "didn’t mind doing it". You have been a mentor, a cheerleader, and after all of this, still (somehow) a great friend, which says everything really.
For anyone looking to work with Juniper moving forward, Jodie is your person. I'll still be around.
And to the clients, collaborators, subcontractors, and team members who trusted us: thank you. You shaped me in all the ways I’ll carry into everything I do next.
I understand the value that a considered yet simple design can bring to a Brand, and I am a staunch believer that you can marry the needs of the user whilst satisfying the business strategy.
My non-work interests range widely; everything from cinema and photography to travelling and my next new adventure.
Work Experience
UX Designer & Co-Founder
THE JUNIPER STUDIO AUG, 2019
In 2019, my business partner and I created a web agency after getting an exciting opportunity to consult and build sites around a custom SAAS. As well as the web design and development side, my role includes:
- Building and maintaining client relationships and contract negotiations
- Agile project management and product ownership
- B2B & B2C marketing activity and data analysis
- Financial management, forecasting and invoicing
- Subcontracting and Freelance Team Management
- General business management
UX Designer
HOLIDAY EXTRAS OCT, 2015 - FEB, 2020
Working within the UX/UI team, work collaboratively & confidently with the wider business to discover, generate and communicate product solutions. Work with the Product Owners and Key Stakeholders to see these ideas from concept and prototype through to delivery - working closely with the Data and Dev team to determine successes and consider future iterations.
- User Testing: Organise and conduct sessions. Identify patterns and present outcomes to stakeholders and clients across the UK.
- Design Excellence: Understand and can explain to others the impact of great quality vs poor design.
- Business Understanding: Consider the impact of UX on the team, the business and the customer at all times.
- Collaboration: Build relationships and collaborate by supporting others, contributing appropriately to discussions and knowledge sharing.
- Drive: Passionate about my work, the industry and my own development. Always seeking out opportunities to develop my skills, abilities and knowledge.
Senior Front-End Developer
HOLIDAY EXTRAS OCT, 2011 - OCT, 2015
Initially joining the team as a Front End Developer I progressed into a Senior role after 5 months, where my skills were perfectly placed, training and mentoring a young and vibrant team, helping to drive new ideas through, and ensuring the highest quality, accessible and performant sites were delivered and maintained.
Web Master / Front-End Developer
P&O FERRIES APR, 2007 - OCT, 2011
- Develop P&O Ferries' B2C multilingual digital platform, ensuring all products conform to both company brand guidelines and Web accessibility and usability standards.
- Liaise with key Marketing and Sales leaders to shape and drive solutions forward.
- Architect and develop a multilingual CMS, and provide in-house training for users.
- Working with Agile development methodology and XP principles.
Takes a no-BS attitude to problems and shows genuine passion for her work.
She understands and respects the constraints we must work within whilst also managing to push those boundaries and strive for excellence.
Nicki is great at listening to the ideas and concepts of others - she also backs up her own ideas and concepts superbly and is very clear and justified on the rationale.