Building thoughtful interfaces with precision and purpose
I'm an Engineering Lead (Engineering Manager equivalent) and Senior Front-End Engineer with 15 years of experience leading teams and building web applications that balance clarity, performance, and design integrity. My path into tech wasn't linear: it began behind the lens of a camera, but that's where I first learned the power of observation, attention to detail, and storytelling. Those same instincts now shape how I lead teams and build products.
About me
I started my career at sixteen, long before I wrote my first line of code.
My passion for street photography led me to become only the second photographer for Lithuania's largest news website, DELFI. One of my photos earned second place in the 2009 Lithuanian Press Photography Awards in the News category and was published in the annual book of winners.
That early experience taught me how to see detail, and how much craft and clarity matter when you want to make something resonate.
When I moved to the UK in 2010 to study film and television, I realised that what truly drew me in wasn't just capturing stories; it was designing the systems that helped people interact with them. So I taught myself to code.
Starting small, I learned HTML and CSS, then began working for a small agency as their first in-house web developer. Later, at Ostmodern, I contributed to projects for BBC Player (for BBC Studios), the Olympic Channel, and BFI's Britain on Film, learning how form and function come together in good design. My background in photography and my love of Braun-inspired, “just enough” design gave me a foundation for the interface sensibility I bring to my work today.
At GoCardless, I was the first front-end engineer hired directly under the design team, working on the marketing site to improve usability, accessibility, and how the brand communicated visually. Later, at Simply Business, I joined as a Mid-Level Engineer and was promoted through Senior to Engineering Lead, a role that, in most companies, would be called Engineering Manager. For the past two years I've led distributed engineering teams, breaking down complex projects into manageable pieces that we refine together before engineers pick them up, and holding the regular 1:1s and career-development conversations that keep a team growing.
I stay hands-on by design: pairing with my team, reviewing code, and building alongside them on the highest-impact work, because the best people decisions come from staying close to the craft, not from a distance.
Independent projects
Outside full-time work, I enjoy exploring ideas through small, self-driven projects, each using a different toolset or architectural pattern to solve real, tangible problems.
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SetSweat
SetSweat is built to log sets and reps, track volume against your last session, and monitor calories and macros. Built on PouchDB synced to CouchDB for offline use. Other features include grouping exercises into supersets, pulling up step-by-step instructions and images mid-set, describing a workout and letting AI build it for you, setting daily macro targets, logging custom foods, tagging meals, and going back to edit your history.
Stack:
- TanStack Start
- TanStack Router & Query
- TypeScript
- Tailwind CSS v4
- PouchDB/CouchDB
- Zod + React Hook Form
- Auth0
- Sentry
- Vitest
- Cloudflare Workers
- Fly.io
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Essential Nose
https://www.essentialnose.com/
I bought a Muji essential oil diffuser a few years ago and asked staff how to blend oils. The answer was always the same. Just mix what smells nice.
Perfumery actually runs on note ratios and family harmony, so I built a dataset of 200+ oil profiles and an algorithm that scores pairings on that basis. Pick an oil you own, or a goal like sleep, focus or energy, and get a recipe with drop counts.
Stack:
- Astro
- React
- TypeScript
- Tailwind CSS
- Vite
- Hono
- Cloudflare Workers
- Vitest
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PocketFX
Currency converter apps are bloated with ads, paywalls, and poor offline support, exactly when you need them most. PocketFX is a no-nonsense reference tool built for travel. Rates are fetched from the API and cached to your device, so it works even without a data connection or signal.
Stack:
- Preact (build-time)
- TypeScript
- Tailwind CSS
- Vite
- PWA
- Frankfurter API
Each project reflects how I think: start with a real-world problem, choose the right tools, design around clarity, and build something that feels useful and durable.
What drives me
I believe that great engineering is about integrity and invisible craftsmanship: not just what you can see, but what you can't.
Like the carpenter who builds the back of a cabinet with as much care as the front, I approach every project with respect for detail, structure, and the people who will depend on it.
I care deeply about how products feel to use and how technology supports design rather than overwhelms it. My focus is on building systems and interfaces that are fast, clear, and maintainable, and on helping teams work in a way that values communication as much as technical skill.
Outside of work
Outside of work, I care deeply about maintaining a sense of balance and perspective.
I meditate regularly, weight train three times a week, and pay attention to healthy food and recovery, habits that help me stay focused and grounded.
I enjoy reading and learning about how people and systems work, whether through Brené Brown's books on vulnerability, Radical Candour, The Culture Map, or The Design of Everyday Things. I also keep up with the latest in web development through the React Status newsletter and Frontend Masters courses.
I also love to travel and explore new places whenever I can.
Connect
I'm always happy to hear from people who share an interest in thoughtful engineering, design, or building products with care. If you'd like to chat or collaborate on something, feel free to reach out.