Cecilia Righini is a founder and creative director, formerly a student from BA (Hons) Design Management. Since graduating, Cecilia has set up a non-profit design agency supporting women and LGBTQ+ founders and organisations.
Tell us a little bit about you, what are you working at the moment?
I'm currently the Founder and Creative Director of Studio Lutalica, a non-profit design agency supporting women and LGBTQ+ founders and organisations. Over the past five years, we've grown into one of Scotland's go-to design studios for social impact work, having completed over 200 projects for more than 100 clients across the globe.
Right now, we're working with major clients like Oxfam, Alliance for Feminist Movements, and the Women and Gender Constituency. I'm also serving on the boards of the Equality Network and Proud Futures in Scotland, and I've recently been invited to join the board of Firstport. I regularly return to UAL to bring my experiences back to design management students, sharing what I've learnt about building a purpose-driven creative practice.
Recently, I was recognised with awards from Great British Entrepreneur Awards and Great British Businesswoman Awards, which has opened up exciting opportunities to speak about inclusive business practices and design activism, while I’ve been supporting as a judge for the Startup Awards, PRINT Awards and Lovies.
Why did you choose to study your course at LCC and how has it helped you to get where you are now?
My path to LCC was quite unconventional. I'm Italian, and at that point I was living abroad in the Netherlands, where I first fell in love with Design. I'd already studied biomedical engineering for a year, then worked, and then spent that year as an au pair before finding the BA in Design Management and Cultures at LCC.
London was never in my plans (I never wanted to be in London, really) but the course felt like the perfect combination for someone like me who felt very creative but didn't quite know in what way. I wanted to explore that creativity, and LCC seemed like the place where I could do it properly.
The course was instrumental in launching my career. Coming from a background where knowledge flows top-down from professors to students, LCC was incredible because of its collaborative approach. I'll never forget the first day when one of our lecturers said, "We're going to learn from you as much as you learn from us." That was really meaningful for me.
Learning critical thinking was one of the most important things I gained. LCC encouraged us to go and explore, make mistakes, try things, and really go in depth rather than just superficially touching on subjects. It gave me the opportunity to really engage and take out as much as I could—it had so much to offer and was the best thing I could have done to kickstart my career.
What was the highlight of studying at LCC?
The highlight was definitely learning to think critically and being in an environment that encouraged questioning. I loved how the course really encouraged exploration – to go and do what you're passionate about, make mistakes, and try things properly rather than just skimming the surface.
The collaborative atmosphere was incredible too. Being surrounded by people from different backgrounds who all shared a passion for using design meaningfully was incredibly energising. LCC felt like a place where different perspectives were valued, and where students were supported to develop their own voice whilst learning from each other.
I was also blown away by the incredible facilities available to us, from letterpress and screen printing, to professional photography studios and bookbinding workshops, which allowed us to experiment with different techniques and really bring our ideas to life.
Well, oops—that was three highlights, but I couldn’t pick just one!
What kinds of projects and collaborations did you work on during the course?
During my BA at LCC, I founded Vagina-nomics, a creative magazine focused on de-stimatising pleasure through art and design. This project became central to my studies and really set the trajectory for my career.
What was brilliant about this project was how I gathered together UAL students from across different disciplines—illustrators, designers, animators, writers—to work together. I was really using my design management skills to coordinate these creative teams across the university. We produced two issues, and it taught me so much about managing complex collaborations and working with sensitive content.
The magazine demonstrated how design could be used as a tool for social change, creating a platform that destigmatised conversations around pleasure, gender, and sexuality through art and design. I'm still very proud of this work and continue to showcase it as part of Studio Lutalica's portfolio. It showed me there was real demand for feminist approaches to design and media, which gave me confidence that Studio Lutalica could be successful years later.
What top tips would you give for prospective students who are applying to study at the postgraduate level at LCC?
Come prepared to be challenged in your thinking. University is a moment to explore your identity. These are formative years where you can really dig deep and understand who you are. Keep an open mind, always!
Embrace the critical framework. Don't just think about design as aesthetic problem-solving. LCC encouraged me to consider the political, social, and cultural implications of your work, and this critical thinking set me apart. In two words? Dig. Deeper.
Start building your network early. London's creative scene is incredibly rich, and LCC is well-connected to it. Attend talks, exhibitions, and industry events – the relationships you build will be invaluable.
Don't be afraid to start projects (or a business!) during your studies. LCC provides a supportive environment for testing ideas. Some of these projects might become the foundation for your career, just as Vagina-nomics did for me. Don't wait until you feel completely ready—university will give you solid grounding, but no amount of education will fully prepare you to launch your own thing. In the end, passion and resilience are what will set you apart.
What are your social media platforms?
Website: lutalica.studioLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ceciliarighiniInstagram: @studiolutalica
Visit the BA (Hons) Design Management course page