UX Designer · Edinburgh, UK

Complex products, made clear.
Grounded in behavioural research.

I turn dense, technical products into tools people trust.

The answer is rarely less product.

About me
Clara Cristea, UX Designer, smiling in a striped shirt against a dark background
Clarity means the capability stays whole and becomes visible, shaped around how people already work. This is at the core of my design process.
Read more about me
Selected work

Data, infrastructure and marketplaces

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1
Framehouse
Trust infrastructure for film-industry hiring: escrow, verified outcomes, and the failure paths most platforms skip.
The Framehouse job board shown on a laptop, listing three paid roles with their fees
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2
Network analysis tool
An open-source network analysis tool, rebuilt around the objects analysts look at rather than the actions they perform.
The network analysis tool shown on a laptop, with the canvas and the network overview panel
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3
Kubernetes desktop management tool
An open-source tool for watching Kubernetes clusters, where every element on screen has to earn the space it takes from the cluster.
The Kubernetes desktop management tool shown on a laptop, with cluster CPU, memory and pod metrics
How I work

From research to handoff

01

Research

Understanding the problem matters as much as translating it into design. I gather insights through interviews, competitor and heuristic analysis, surveys, and usability testing, then turn them into a plan for what to build, in what order, and why.
02

Information Architecture

A complex product only feels simple if it’s organised around how people think. I work out how information should be grouped, surfaced, and prioritised, through content audits, user flows, and site maps that scale with the product.
03

Product Design

Underneath, the product is complex. On screen, it has to feel legible. Product design is where I close that gap. I balance what’s shown against what’s held back, and how much any one screen should ask of someone, on desktop or mobile.
04

Developer Handoff

Good design breaks in the build when developers are left to interpret it alone. I stay involved through implementation, design around their stack, and work through the trade-offs together.
client voices

What it’s like working with me

“Clara developed a suite of website mockups for Cofluence to our brief for a high profile client. She was extremely collaborative, courteous and professional even when we were being a little demanding with changes! It was a complex brief but she delivered an excellent result and our client is impressed. Due to delays at our end it took much longer than the initial agreement but Clara was patient and proactively helpful. I recommend her without reservation.”
Cofluence
Australia · Website mockups
“I worked with Clara on a side project of mine and she was able to exceed expectations with her deliverable. Although the product I was working on was a bit niche and technical, Clara was able to understand what was being asked and she developed a great UI/UX for my project.”
Seferino Ferna
United States · Kubernetes project
“I had the pleasure of collaborating with Clara on the HappyCompass research team, and I was consistently impressed by her thoughtful, research-driven approach to UX. As one of the UX Researchers on our team, she brought a rare combination of analytical depth and creative problem-solving to the table. I appreciated her ability to translate complex user research into clear, actionable design improvements. Her literature review on hormonal health brought both scientific grounding and empathy to our design strategy — making the app more relevant and impactful for our users. Beyond her technical skills, Clara was a great collaborator: curious, kind, and always open to share her insights. She has a natural ability to connect the dots between research, product vision, and user experience. I’d highly recommend her to any team looking for a UX researcher who can think holistically and deliver with heart and rigor.”
Manika Shrivastava
Lead UX Researcher, United States · UNA, Wellbeing App for Women
“I’ve worked with Clara on the Candle Chain of Hope, a charity to help heal the division in the world. Clara was a UX Designer who quickly understood the brief. Working within a loose framework she was able to contribute to both the strategy of the project, and individual tasks. Her approach to problem solving was excellent. She worked well in the team and was willing to help out as well as suggesting where she could help. She, on her own, came up with the UX/UI strategy document, and analysed some of the existing competitors. I would definitely work with Clara again, she was professional and enjoyable to work with.”
Tom Salvini
CEO, United Kingdom · Candle Chain of Hope

Contact me

Tell me what you are building

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