I am Esko Lehtme

Education

My approach to design leadership has evolved through a multidisciplinary background.

• MBA from Estonian Business School (2024). My studies focused on leadership, digital transformation, business innovation, and data-driven decision-making, enhancing my capabilities to align UX strategies with business goals
• Bachelor’s in Advertising and Publicity from Tallinn University (2007), providing insights into user behavior and communication.
• Specialization in Cognitive Psychology underpins my understanding of user needs and organizational dynamics.

This diverse education enables me to effectively bridge user needs, business objectives, and technological possibilities in digital product development.

Career

My career has evolved from hands-on development to strategic design leadership.

SEB Baltic (2017-Present)

• Currently, as the Product Owner of UX, I focus on aligning UX strategy with business goals, optimizing our design processes, and maximizing the value of our UX initiatives. My recent MBA studies have further honed my skills in strategic leadership and driving innovation in complex business environments.
• As Head of UX, restructured the team, tripling its size and integrating UX practices into earlier stages of product development.
• As a UX Designer, introduced advanced user research practices and transformed product collaboration.

UX designer at CGI (2011-2017)

• Transformed UX approach from visual design to comprehensive strategy, focusing on usability, information architecture, and customer journeys. Built and led a team (de facto) of four designers.

Design roles (2005-2011)

Progressed through advertising and UX consulting positions, developing a keen eye for user-centric design and business impact.

Front-End developer (1997-2001)

Built a strong foundation in web technologies and user interface implementation.

Design leadership at SEB Baltic

I lead the integration of strategic UX practices into our product development lifecycle.

• Aligning UX strategy with business objectives: Ensuring our design decisions support user needs and business goals.
• Driving value through design: Implementing processes that have significantly reduced time-to-market and increased customer satisfaction for new and redesigned products.
• Fostering cross-functional collaboration: Breaking down silos to ensure user-centered thinking permeates all aspects of product development.
• Continuous improvement: Regularly reviewing and optimizing our design methods to maximize impact and efficiency.

This strategic approach to UX leadership has enhanced our product quality and demonstrated the tangible business value of user-centered design practices.

Achievements and impact

Organizational transformation

• Restructured UX leadership at SEB Baltic, optimizing for both team development and organizational design maturity.
• Grew the UX team threefold while enhancing overall skill level and creating specialized career paths.

Integration of UX

• Embedded UX practices into earlier stages of the product development cycle, shifting from focusing on visual design to comprehensive user research and value creation.
• This approach significantly reduced time-to-market and increased customer satisfaction rates for new and redesigned products.

Cultural shift and awareness

• Developed and facilitated highly-rated service design and customer-centric training programs, impacting organizational culture at SEB.
• Raised awareness about usability and user-centered design practices in Estonian governmental institutions during my tenure at CGI.

Process optimization and collaboration

• Implemented stakeholder interview processes that improved alignment and communication across diverse departments.
• Optimized UX team workflows to maximize value and efficiency within product development.

Metrics-driven UX

• Developed methods to measure and demonstrate the business impact of UX work, helping to quantify design value and inform strategic decisions.

Impactful product design

• Led the design of critical emergency services and telecommunications systems, directly contributing to public safety and service reliability.

Thought leadership

• Regular speaker at industry events, including Refresh Conference, Tallinna Ettevõtluspäev, and Impact Day.
• These engagements allow me to contribute to the broader UX community while bringing fresh perspectives to my work at SEB Baltic.

While my professional achievements define my career, my journey - from a farm boy to a design leader - truly shapes my approach to design and leadership. This background has taught me to look beyond the obvious, find connections between seemingly unrelated concepts, and create digital experiences that are truly human-centered.

tsoon

Tsoon – ‘zone’ in Estonian – has been my digital home since the early 2000s. My wife reminded me that the choice of the name was inspired by the mysterious ‘zone’ in Strugatsky’s “Roadside Picnic”¹, where stalkers looked for valuable artifacts. Later, tsoon came to represent the elusive ‘flow state’² chased by creatives.

Over time, this space has been my digital playground, where I’ve tinkered with various web technologies and projects.

Today, www.tsoon.com serves as my professional expression — a space where I share insights on the intersection of design, technology, and business strategy.