The creative engine of the project Design Wings is talented people who have graduated during the last three years, have ideas and knowledge, and are willing to put their skills into practice. They create design solutions that promote social impact.
Design Wings is a practical opportunity for talented people to gain experience and contribute to the future of business by developing competitive design products and services that promote social impact. The project involves emerging designers, each continuing for five months at one of the participating companies or NGOs.
The main benefits for designers are:
THE OPPORTUNITY TO GROW SUCCESS
The designers participating in the project, Design Wings, will reveal their competencies in companies and NGOs and contribute to the successful development of the country's cultural and creative industries sector, business competitiveness, and growth.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
While creating design solutions, designers will work and pursue a typical creative result with competent project mentors with extensive professional experience.
KNOWLEDGE AND IMPROVEMENT
The training provided during the project will help all participants take on the challenges ahead and quickly penetrate new knowledge about digitization, innovation, and social impact.
RECOGNITION AND COMPENSATION
We selected project participants who received scholarship contracts for five months. They are expected to become competitive players in the labor market by the end of the project. The estimated amount of the scholarship is 1700 Eur /monthly (all necessary costs for tools, programs, licenses, etc., are included in the scholarship indicated).
Justina Stipinaitė
Visual communication
Justina graduated from the Vilnius Academy of Arts with a Bachelor's degree in Design in 2023.
Justina is a creative and curious designer who enjoys playful and distinctive solutions in both graphic and product design. She is not afraid to experiment, explore unexpected ideas, and creatively apply them across different fields and projects. Justina has gained experience in illustration, layout design, animation, and product design. Her strengths include creativity, adaptability, and empathy, which help her better understand people, their needs, and create meaningful design solutions.
Creative Achievements
2020 – Design Week, Vilnius
2020 – National competition Good Design – 3rd place in the Product and Industrial Design category for the project Šeimukai
2022 – Exhibition Furniture and Design Solutions, LITEXPO – presented Groovy Chair
2022 – Professional internship with sculptor Vytautas Viržbickas
2023 – Exhibition Furniture and Design Solutions, LITEXPO – presented The Quirky Rug
2023 – Vilnius Academy of Arts Graduate Exhibition – presented the collection Form Follows Material
2023 – Group exhibition Waiting Waiting Waiting, Vartai Gallery, Vilnius
2023 – Dutch Design Week, Eindhoven – Vilnius Academy of Arts exhibition Class of 2023, presented the collection Form Follows Material
2024 – COLLECTIBLE, Brussels – works presented with Vartai Gallery
2024 – Group exhibition Counter-Argument VI: Outsiders, Radvila Palace Museum of Art, Vilnius
2024 – Professional internship with designer Lucas Muñoz
2024 – Works published and featured in international design media outlets ELLE Décoration and The Steidz
2025 – Group design exhibition Domestic Visions, Vartai Gallery – presented the lamp Night Shift
2025 – Dutch Design Week, Eindhoven – Rituals of Future Work / Forward Furniture, presented Night Shift
2026 – Design Products Pop-up, International Design Day, Museum of Applied Arts and Design – curation and participation
2026 – Lithuanian Council for Culture Emerging Creator State Scholarship in the field of design
2026 – Illustration and layout design for Tomas Dirgėla’s book Matas and the Kefir Factory, in collaboration with Žemaitijos pienas
Through design, Justina would like to reduce the influence of russification, disinformation, and conspiracy theories in the Vilnius region, especially among children and young people, while strengthening their connection to the Lithuanian language, culture, and community.
Socialinis veiksmas, NGO
Mentor Pijus Cicėnas
Gretė Labanauskaitė
Service design
Grėtė graduated from Vilnius College of Design in 2021, earning a Professional Bachelor’s Degree in Arts in Fashion Design. In 2023, she graduated from the Vilnius Academy of Arts, where she obtained a Master’s degree in Fashion Design.
Grėtė actively participates in design competitions, exhibitions, and other creative events in Lithuania and abroad. Since 2023, she has been a resident of the Užupis Art Incubator. Her work was recognized with the Young Designer Prize in 2021, and in 2023 she received recognition in the national Good Design competition. In 2025, she also participated in the Design Wings project as a designer, collaborating with the company Unikalus šokis.
In recent years, Grėtė has focused extensively on the topic of sensory design. She created the immersive exhibition “Jausmas” (Feeling), where fashion is explored not only through sight, but also through touch, sound, and scent. The exhibition was presented in Vilnius, Kaunas, Šiauliai, and Klaipėda.
In her work, Grėtė combines fashion, sensory design, and experience design. She believes it is important to create design solutions that are not only visually appealing but also experienced through different senses, such as touch, sound, scent, and materiality. In her creative process, she places strong emphasis on inclusivity, user experience, and the diverse needs of different people. Her strength lies in her ability to look at a problem from a broader perspective and discover unconventional design solutions. Grėtė is particularly interested in experimenting with various materials, their properties, and the sensations they create, which is why she often explores unexpected ways of applying them in her work.
If she could address one societal challenge through design, Grėtė would focus on the increasingly diminishing connection between people, their senses, and their surroundings. Her goal would be to create design that is not only seen but also experienced, encouraging people to pause, touch, listen, smell, and rediscover their environment through different senses.
Norbena, SP
Mentor Kristina Paukštytė-Bakūnė
Kipras Maigys
User Experience and User Interface Design (UX/UI)
Kipras graduated from the Graphic Design study programme at Vilnius University of Applied Sciences in 2026.
Kipras actively participates in a variety of creative projects and events. He took part in the international Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) Graphic Design workshops in France and created submissions for logo design competitions organized by the Kupiškis Museum and the Association of Women of Officers' Families of Grand Duchess Birutė of Lithuania. In 2024, he also participated in the Nida Art Plein Air, where he further developed his drawing skills through creative workshops.
Kipras describes himself as a responsible, punctual, and communicative designer. One of his key strengths is the ability to work quickly and efficiently while striving to create distinctive and unique design solutions. He values creativity, continuous professional growth, and open collaboration.
If given the opportunity to address a social issue through design, Kipras would focus on promoting the inclusion of the Deaf community. He would like to develop solutions that make sign language learning more accessible and help raise public awareness of the Deaf world, fostering greater understanding, communication, and social inclusion.
Švenčionys District Local Action Group "Švenčionių Partnerystė"
Mentor Rūta Vainilavičiūtė-Prelgauskienė
Benita Vilčinskaitė
Visual communication
Benita studied Multimedia Technologies at Kauno kolegija from 2022 to 2025. She graduated with honors and earned a Professional Bachelor’s degree in Informatics.
Benita actively engages in both academic and creative activities. In 2025, she authored and published the scientific article “Evaluation of Consumer Behaviour Research in the Development of Tea and Spice Packaging” and conducted and presented related research at the scientific conference “Application of Innovations in Technologies.”
In 2024, she and her team won first place and a cash prize in the “HackaPoint” idea competition organized by the Entrepreneurship and Creativity Centre of Kauno kolegija. The same year, she received first place and a cash prize for the best short film, “Peronas” (“Platform”), to which she contributed as a costume designer and sound designer in collaboration with director Roberto Valdes Tena. Benita also participated in the national scientific-practical student conference “Application of Innovations in Technologies 2024.”
Benita is a graphic designer specializing in visual graphics and packaging design. She creates visually appealing concepts that generate added value, and some of her work has already been successfully implemented in the Lithuanian market. In her creative process, she avoids generic solutions and places strong emphasis on expressing each brand’s unique identity and building meaningful connections with consumers.
In her work, Benita combines graphic design and 3D modelling skills, ensuring technical precision while helping brands stand out in a competitive market. She has experience in developing packaging designs, logos, and a wide range of visual communication materials.
If she had the opportunity to address a social issue through design, Benita would focus on improving the emotional well-being of people living with cancer and enhancing healthcare environments. In her view, hospitals often prioritize physical treatment while giving insufficient attention to patients’ emotional needs. Therefore, she would like to create warmer, more welcoming, and therapeutically supportive spaces and visual solutions that help reduce stress, provide greater comfort, and inspire hope during challenging periods of treatment.
SG Consulting and Engineering, Ldt
Mentor Emilija Užukauskienė
Viltė Kanapinskaitė
Visual communication
Viltė graduated from Vilnius University of Applied Sciences in 2026, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design.
Viltė has participated in various creative activities and projects. In 2024, she took part in the plein air exhibition “Nida, the Wind and Me” in Nida, and in 2025, she joined the international Erasmus+ BIP creative workshop “From Sequence to Texture” in Rennes, France. Her 2026 final Graphic Design project received the highest possible grade and was nominated among the best final projects of the Graphic Design study programme at Vilnius University of Applied Sciences.
Viltė describes herself as a creative, visually oriented, meticulous, and detail-focused designer. She strives to refine design solutions down to the smallest details, placing great importance on ensuring that the final result is aesthetically pleasing, clear, functional, and fit for its intended purpose.
Her key strengths include a strong sense of aesthetics and style, a solid understanding of composition, visualization skills, and the ability to maintain a consistent visual direction throughout a project. In her design process, she seeks to understand the needs and challenges of the target audience, exploring distinctive and well-founded solutions that best suit each project and its audience.
If she had the opportunity to address a social issue through design, Viltė would focus on the insufficient visibility of certain social groups and activities. In her view, visual communication can help society better recognize, understand, and appreciate a wide range of topics and communities.
It is important to Viltė that disability culture, sports, and other less visible communities receive equal representation. She believes that good design can do more than inform and engage people. It can also challenge stereotypes, shift perspectives, and increase the visibility of important social issues in the public sphere.
Gerumo skraistė, NGO
Mentor Emilija Užukauskienė
Georgy Kasatkin
Visual communication
Georgy studied at the Vilnius Academy of Arts from 2023 to 2025, where he earned a Master’s degree in Visual Communication Design. Prior to that, he completed a Bachelor’s degree in Graphic and Communication Design at Vilnius Design College between 2020 and 2023.
In 2025, Georgy participated in the group exhibition “CONTRA PUNCTUM” held at Akademija Gallery. In the same year, he also took part in the “VDA Graduation Show,” a group exhibition showcasing the final projects of emerging designers.
Georgy is a graphic and visual communication designer working in the fields of brand identity, typography, and typeface design. His creative practice is driven by research and in-depth contextual analysis. He believes that visual language is always a response to a specific challenge or project, which is why he seeks a unique visual language for each assignment, grounded in a clear concept and supported by well-reasoned design decisions.
In his work, Georgy values the balance between logic and intuition. Structure, precision, and consistent design systems are important to him, as they ensure functionality and durability. At the same time, he strives to preserve space for experimentation, playfulness, and emotion. In his view, the strongest design solutions emerge where clear structure meets bold visual expression.
If he had the opportunity to address a social issue through design, Georgy would focus on the communication of environmental sustainability. In his opinion, many environmental challenges stem not from a lack of information, but from the way that information is communicated to the public. He believes that environmental messages are often conveyed through fear, guilt, or overly complex information, which can discourage engagement. Through design, he would seek to create a bold, experimental, and optimistic visual language that helps people embrace more sustainable choices. His goal is not nostalgia for the past, but an inspiring vision of an ecological, organic, and sustainable future.
Human Resources Monitoring and Development Bureau, Public Institution
Mentor Lukas Ruškys
Unė Jonynaitė
User Experience and User Interface Design (UX/UI)
Unė graduated from the Vilnius Academy of Arts in 2024, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Interior Design. In 2026, she completed Web Design (UX/UI) training and an Artificial Intelligence Applications programme at Code Academy.
Unė is the recipient of the 2024 Young Designer Prize, awarded for her bachelor’s project, “2C. Ephemeral Nightclub.” With this project, she also participated in “The Spaces in Between” exhibition organized as part of Design Days.
Unė’s greatest strength is her curiosity. She enjoys exploring the world around her and seeking answers to a wide range of questions. Her curiosity leads her to new connections, new experiences, and opportunities to engage with different crafts, disciplines, and ways of thinking.
If she had the opportunity to address a social issue through design, Unė would focus on climate change and the rising global average temperature. She would like to contribute to tackling this challenge by exploring and developing solutions that help mitigate the impacts of climate change in Lithuania.
Lithuanian gay league
Mentor Tomas Aliukas
Viktoriia Volyniuk
User Experience and User Interface Design (UX/UI)
Viktoriia studied at Kaunas University of Technology from 2022 to 2026, where she completed the Multimedia Technologies study programme.
In 2026, Viktoriia contributed to a postcard campaign held in Kaunas in support of Ukraine. As part of this initiative, participants were invited to write messages of encouragement to Ukrainian soldiers on the reverse side of the postcards. She also took part in an event dedicated to Vyshyvanka Day, the celebration of traditional Ukrainian embroidered shirts, which aimed to introduce the public to the history and significance of this occasion. Viktoriia created the event presentation materials, selected the content, and developed the visual design, encouraging the residents of Kaunas to learn more about Ukrainian culture.
When creating design solutions, Viktoriia pays close attention to details and has a talent for identifying the core idea within them. In her view, good design is design that reaches its target audience and communicates the intended message clearly and effectively.
If she had the opportunity to address a social issue through design, Viktoriia would focus on the integration of foreigners in a new country. In her opinion, newcomers often face language barriers, lack access to information, struggle with complex administrative procedures, and do not know where to seek assistance. Through design, she would aim to create clear, understandable, and easily accessible information solutions that help people adapt more quickly and confidently to their new environment.
Kūrybinių technologijų akademija, NGO
Mentor Tomas Aliukas
Elada Miliauskaitė
Visual communication
Elada graduated from Vilnius Design College in 2026, earning a Professional Bachelor’s degree in Arts.
Elada describes herself as a broad-minded designer who enjoys challenging herself. She believes that this mindset helps professionals grow into confident and capable experts in their field. When working on projects, Elada leaves plenty of room for experimentation, seeking to discover the best possible solution from both aesthetic and functional perspectives.
Her key strengths include the ability to refine and clarify ideas, plan creative processes, and think creatively, all of which help her successfully develop and implement a wide range of concepts and projects.
If she had the opportunity to address a social issue through design, Elada would focus on reducing excessive screen use, particularly among young people. In her view, constant engagement with the digital environment can negatively affect various aspects of life and, over time, contribute to social and emotional challenges. Through design, she would aim to educate the public and encourage a more conscious and balanced relationship with technology.
Medardas Čobotas University of the Third Age (MČTAU)
Mentor Lukas Ruškys
Aistė Rajunčiūtė
Visual communication
Aistė graduated in 2024 with a Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design, specializing in Publishing and Illustration, from Vilnius College of Technologies and Design.
Aistė actively participates in creative projects, competitions, and exhibitions. In 2023, she joined the social initiative “100 More Smiles,” dedicated to supporting lonely and disadvantaged senior citizens. As part of the project, Aistė designed and illustrated the poetry book “Einu į gamtą” by Birutė Greivienė.
In 2024, Aistė won first place in the poster competition of the International Animated Film Festival “Tindirindis.” The same year, she participated in the graphic arts exhibition at the Small Exhibition Space XXI–XXII of Vilnius University Library, where her final project, an original book design based on Vincas Krėvė’s novella “Skerdžius” was exhibited. The project was developed under the supervision of lecturer Virginija Kalinauskaitė.
Aistė is a designer who combines digital and traditional graphic techniques in her creative practice. She is particularly interested in illustration, editorial design, and poster creation. In her work, she is not afraid to experiment and blend different techniques, often incorporating traditional printmaking and drawing methods such as linocut, charcoal drawing, and oil pastel illustration.
Aistė describes her creative style as playful and vibrant. She believes that design should not be created exclusively through digital tools, which is why traditional printing and drawing techniques hold an important place in her work. In her view, traditional graphic arts bring a sense of authenticity and expressiveness that cannot always be achieved in a digital environment. She also regards traditional printmaking as an important part of cultural heritage and seeks to preserve and celebrate it through her creative practice.
If she had the opportunity to address a social issue through design, Aistė would focus on promoting the importance of culture and the preservation of cultural heritage. In her opinion, culture and heritage help bring communities together, strengthen social bonds, and contribute to reducing social exclusion. Through design, she would aim to encourage greater public interest in culture, its preservation, and its transmission to future generations.
Kvietkinė Village Community
Mentor Pijus Cicėnas
Liepa Marija Gradauskaitė
Service design
Liepa completed her Bachelor’s studies at the Vilnius Academy of Arts in 2023 and earned a Master’s degree in 2026.
Liepa has received significant recognition in the field of design. In 2023, she won the Grand Prize in the Design category of the Young Designer Prize competition, as well as the Grand Prize in the Design category at the Good Design Awards.
Her work has been presented in numerous national and international exhibitions, including “Homo Faber: Island of Light” in Venice (2026), “Master and Apprentice” at Designforum Wien (2026), “Forward Furniture” at Dutch Design Week (2025), “Tactile Baltics” exhibitions in Milan, Liepāja, and Vilnius (2025), the Collectible design fair in Brussels (2024), and exhibitions at Vartai, Akademija, and Titanikas galleries. Her work has also been exhibited at the Stockholm Furniture Fair (2023), 360 Design Budapest (2022), and the Furniture and Design Solutions exhibition in Vilnius (2022).
Liepa is a product and object designer working within the field of collectible design. Through her creative practice, she explores how traditional crafts can be reinterpreted and made relevant in a contemporary context, and how functional objects can acquire emotional, cultural, and sculptural value. Her primary medium is traditional willow weaving, which she reimagines as a free-form, organic, and expressive language of contemporary design. Working alongside Lithuanian basket weavers, Liepa investigates how traditional techniques can function not only as heritage or decorative aesthetics, but also as a living and evolving creative practice.
Her strengths include design research, structuring complex information, concept development, visualization, and collaboration with professionals from diverse fields. In her creative process, she places great importance on understanding materials, fostering respectful collaboration, and connecting personal experiences with broader cultural contexts as a foundation for developing meaningful design concepts.
If she had the opportunity to address a social issue through design, Liepa would focus on social isolation and loneliness. She is interested in how design can create more opportunities for people to meet, participate in shared activities, and build meaningful connections. Rather than designing another object intended for individual use, she would seek to create situations, spaces, or systems that encourage collective experiences and natural social interaction.
She is particularly interested in strengthening connections between generations and addressing the gradual loss of knowledge and practical skill transfer. Liepa sees significant potential in crafts and creative activities as tools not only for preserving cultural heritage but also for fostering stronger social bonds and community engagement.
Mamu unija, Charity and Support Foundation
Mentor Kristina Paukštytė-Bakūnė
Milda Virbickaitė
Industrial Design
Milda studied Industrial Design Engineering at The Hague University of Applied Sciences (THUAS) from 2018 to 2021, where she earned her Bachelor's degree. She continued her studies at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) from 2022 to 2024, graduating with a Master's degree in Industrial Design.
Milda has contributed to several notable projects throughout her career. One of them is Smart Floor, a health technology startup based in the Netherlands, where she worked as a Product Designer during her master's studies. As part of the project, she contributed to the product's industrial design, charging system, and user instruction materials. The product is currently being expanded to additional European markets.
Another significant project is Well-link, her master's graduation project. The project explored how design and data visualization can help people living with fibromyalgia better understand their wellbeing and daily symptoms. The project was carried out in collaboration with volunteers from the Dutch Fibromyalgia Association, researchers from Maastricht University, and pain therapy specialists.
Milda describes herself as a practical and curious designer who values not only aesthetically pleasing outcomes but also how solutions perform in real-life situations. She enjoys tackling complex challenges, combining creative thinking with technical expertise, and transforming ideas into tangible, functional products.
She is particularly interested in the intersection of technology and design, as well as human-centered solutions. Her key strengths include 3D modeling, prototyping, and working with a variety of manufacturing technologies, especially 3D printing. She is also highly skilled in problem-solving, visualizing ideas, and guiding product development from the initial concept through to a physical prototype.
If she had the opportunity to address one societal challenge through design, Milda would focus on improving the everyday wellbeing of people living with long-term health conditions. In her view, it is important to create solutions that not only help individuals monitor or manage their health but are also intuitive, accessible, and seamlessly integrated into daily life. She believes that design has the power to bring together technology, human needs, and emotional wellbeing.
JUDU365 Association (formerly known as the Association of Athletes with Disabilities)
Mentor Karolis Bakūnas
Gustina Maksvytytė
User Experience and User Interface Design (UX/UI)
Gustina graduated from Vilnius Academy of Arts (VAA) in 2026 with a Bachelor's degree in Design.
In 2026, Gustina participated in the VAA Graduation Show, where she presented her project Vela. In the same year, the project was featured on the design media platform Dezeen.
Also in 2026, Gustina became a finalist of the Young Designer Prize, and her Vela collection was exhibited at the Museum of Applied Arts and Design. Later that year, she will take part in the Class of '26 exhibition at Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven.
Gustina is a designer working across both digital and product design. She enjoys transforming complex challenges into clear and intuitive solutions through research, strategy, and visual design. Her goal is to create meaningful, user-centered solutions that enhance everyday life rather than add unnecessary complexity.
In her creative process, Gustina is guided by sensitivity, empathy, and a strong attention to detail. She believes that good design begins with the ability to notice people's needs, their environment, and the small details that often go unnoticed. As a result, she strives to create solutions that are not only aesthetically pleasing and functional but also tell a meaningful story.
If she had the opportunity to address a societal challenge through design, Gustina would focus on sustainability and the growing disconnect between people and their environment. She would like to contribute to preserving culture and traditions, strengthening communities, and encouraging a more conscious relationship with what we consume and create. In her view, design can do more than solve practical problems. It can help people reconnect with their surroundings, cultural heritage, and one another.
Skaitmeninės etikos centras, NPO
Mentor Rūta Vainilavičiūtė-Prelgauskienė
Jonė Dūdaitė
Visual communication
Jonė studied Graphic Arts at Vilnius Academy of Arts (VAA) from 2020 to 2024, earning a Bachelor's degree in Graphic Arts. She continued her studies at the same institution from 2024 to 2026, graduating with a Master's degree in Graphic Arts.
Jonė actively participates in exhibitions and book art projects. In 2026, together with Rokas Bilinskas, she presented the exhibition Prokr-u-stinacijos at Artifex Gallery in Vilnius. Between 2025 and 2026, she also took part in the exhibition Transitional States at the Anastazija and Antanas Tamošaitis Gallery Židinys.
In 2025, Jonė designed the book Dūdmaišis Lietuvoje (The Bagpipe in Lithuania) and participated in the book art exhibition First Edition at the Galaunė House-Museum in Kaunas. The same year, her work was featured in the group exhibitions Ioánnina Artbook and Zine Festival: Handmade Editions, Department of Graphic Art, Vilnius Academy of Arts in Greece and Dūdos at the Valkininkai Cultural Centre.
From 2024 to 2025, she participated in the Young Painter Prize exhibition at the Vilnius Picture Gallery. In 2024, she took part in the book art exhibitions Young New Graphics: The Metaphysics of the Book at the Kairė-dešinė Gallery of the Vilnius Graphic Art Centre and Creative Embodiment Laboratory at the Vilnius Book Fair. Between 2023 and 2024, her work was exhibited in the international student artist's book exhibition Slow-Selfie. When Knowledge Becomes Image at Akademija Gallery, and in 2023 she participated in the exhibition ORAN(d)ŽINĖ at the Kreatoriumas Art Kilns.
Jonė has also created graphic design for numerous exhibitions, including Death in the Olives (2025), Transitional States (2025–2026), the Graphic Arts Department anniversary exhibitions 22° G: State, 22° G: Medium, and 22° G: Trace, as well as I Had Felt It (2025), Family.Island 8 (2025), Four-Axle Covered Hopper Wagon (2025), Pebbles by the Sea (2025), Gibarą bauzdint (2023), and Tarp/Between.
Jonė is both an artist and a designer. She believes that graphic design should be aesthetic as well as functional, and she continuously seeks a balance between these two qualities in her work. She enjoys experimenting with different materials, forms, and typography, allowing her to create unexpected yet thoughtful design solutions.
Transparency International Lithuania
Mentor Miglė Rudaitytė-Černiauskienė
Eglė Pundzevičiūtė
Visual communication
Eglė graduated from Design Academy Eindhoven in January 2025, earning a Bachelor's degree in Design.
In 2025, Eglė participated in the Graduation Show held during Dutch Design Week in the Netherlands, where she presented her project Tactile Dreaming: Clay World of Devils and Gods. In the same year, she became the Young Resident of the Lithuanian Design Association. In 2024, Eglė presented her project Social Qualities of a Potato: A Relational Tool at the National Prison Museum (Het Nationaal Gevangenismuseum) in the Netherlands.
In her creative practice, Eglė explores systems of knowledge transmission. Through symbols and cultural and social research, she investigates narratives of coexistence and interconnectedness. Her work seeks to establish connections by continuously asking the question: how? Openness and curiosity are among her greatest strengths as a designer and researcher.
If she had the opportunity to address one societal challenge through design, Eglė would focus on increasing community involvement in decision-making processes related to changes in neighborhoods and municipalities. She believes that design can serve as a tool for fostering dialogue, encouraging participation, and ensuring that local communities have a meaningful voice in shaping the environments in which they live.
NGO Information and Support Centre
Mentor Lukas Ruškys
Kamilė Ražanskaitė
Visual communication
Kamilė graduated from Vilnius Academy of Arts (VAA) in 2026 with a Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design.
In 2026, Kamilė participated in the VAA Graduation Show, where she presented her bachelor’s graduation project, Before the Class (Prieš klasę), a visual novel exploring the theme of internalized shame. In the same year, she took part in the Young Designer Prize exhibition and received the Grand Prix in the Communication Design category.
Kamilė did not discover her path to design right away. Although she had been passionate about art since childhood, she also excelled academically. She graduated from Vilnius Lyceum’s International Baccalaureate Programme and later studied Neurobiology and Biophysics at Vilnius University. Realizing that scientific research alone was not fulfilling her desire to create and see tangible results from her work, she decided to pursue studies in graphic design.
According to Kamilė, graphic design is a particularly rewarding field because every new project presents an opportunity to explore new subjects, learn continuously, solve problems, and apply a wide range of creative tools and methods of expression. She is especially interested in 3D design and game design. Kamilė values projects that allow her to express herself not only as a designer but also as an artist, as she enjoys drawing and creating animations.
She considers her greatest strengths to be perseverance and her genuine commitment to deeply understanding every task and project she undertakes.
If she had the opportunity to address one societal challenge through design, Kamilė would focus on loneliness. In her view, manipulative advertising, corporatization, and commercialization have diminished the spaces and opportunities people have to connect, gather, and create together. Through communication design, she would like to help people communicate more openly, organize community gatherings and events, and spread meaningful messages. Kamilė believes that design and communication should belong more to people and communities than to monopolies.
Pozityvios sveikatos komanda, NPO
Mentor Pijus Cicėnas
Dainora Jakštaitė
User Experience and User Interface Design (UX/UI)
Dainora graduated from Aston University in 2023 with a Bachelor's degree in Cybersecurity. During her studies, she participated in the Erasmus exchange programme and studied at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, where she expanded her knowledge of computer science and studied User Interface (UI) design. After graduating, she also completed a Web Design (UX/UI) programme at CodeAcademy Lithuania.
Dainora has participated in various technology-related events, including Web Summit, and continues to actively follow developments in the field. She also took part in a 24-hour university hackathon, where she and her team developed a game. In this project, she was responsible for the game’s design and the creation of its promotional video, and the team won first place. In addition, Dainora regularly attends UX/UI-focused events, such as UX Night at Vinted.
Her work is strongly focused on understanding both user and business needs. Dainora values collaboration not only with business stakeholders but also with developers, as she believes the best solutions emerge through teamwork. With a background that combines UX/UI expertise and solid technical knowledge, she strives to create products that are not only visually appealing but also technically feasible and effective.
In her design process, Dainora uses a variety of tools, ranging from Figma to artificial intelligence solutions for prototyping and analysis. Before starting any project, she makes a conscious effort to thoroughly understand the problem, its context, and the value that a solution can create for both users and businesses.
If she had the opportunity to address one societal challenge through design, Dainora would focus on the accessibility and security of technology. She is passionate about ensuring that technology, artificial intelligence, and digital services are safe, easy to use, and accessible to everyone, regardless of age or abilities.
In Dainora’s view, many older adults and people with disabilities still encounter barriers when using digital services, such as government platforms or healthcare appointment systems. Improving digital accessibility could also contribute to better educational opportunities in regions where digital literacy and access to appropriate tools remain limited. She believes that thoughtful design can help create technologies that are clear, intuitive, and welcoming to every user.
LithuaniaBIO Association
Mentor Tomas Aliukas
Milda Palivonaitė
Service design
Milda graduated from Vilnius Academy of Arts (VAA) in 2024 with a degree in Design.
Milda actively participates in design exhibitions and creative projects. In 2026, she organized the experiential jewellery exhibition Forma Sentitur, a project developed with the support of a Young Creator Grant from the Lithuanian Council for Culture. The exhibition was presented at the Audio-Sensory Library in Vilnius.
In 2026, she also took part in the exhibition What Do Designers Do All Day? at the Titanikas Gallery.
In 2025, Milda participated in the exhibition Domestic Visions at the Vartai Gallery.
In 2024, she took part in the international design event Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. That same year, she received the Grand Prix in the Product Design category at the Young Designer Prize 2024 and exhibited her work at the Museum of Applied Arts and Design of the Lithuanian National Museum of Art and the VAA Telšiai Gallery.
Also in 2024, Milda participated in the exhibition SPECTRUM 2 at the Vartai Gallery and in the Vilnius Academy of Arts Graduation Show at the Arka Gallery.
Milda sees creative practice as a way of exploring and experiencing the world. Since childhood, making and building things by hand has been an integral part of her everyday life, from reshaping old wires into new objects to constructing treehouses. Today, the direction of her creative work remains largely the same, though, in her own words, its scale and level of professionalism have grown, and the scope of her practice has expanded.
She enjoys moving between different disciplines, whether investigating and solving design challenges or creating unique objects by hand. Milda considers one of her greatest strengths to be her ability to combine broad, systems-oriented thinking with careful attention to detail. She enjoys transforming abstract ideas into concrete solutions and learning through experimentation and prototyping. Her approach allows her to view projects from multiple perspectives, understanding both individual details and the wider context in which they exist.
If she had the opportunity to address one societal challenge through design, Milda would focus on strengthening the value created by communities. Working within a local Lithuanian context, she often reflects on the importance of communities in people's lives. Through her travels and personal experiences with unique community initiatives in Lithuania, she has increasingly recognized their positive impact on wellbeing, quality of life, and shared experiences. In her view, fostering stronger communities is an area with enormous potential for creating meaningful social change, and design can play an important role in supporting that process.
Asmenybės ugdymo kultūros centras, NPO
Mentor Kristina Paukštytė-Bakūnė