Eve Loughton’s Apprenticeship Journey: from User Researcher to Service Designer

Eve Loughton’s journey into service design is the culmination of years of working in roles centred on helping people and solving problems. Reflecting on her career, Eve says, “I’ve never really had a career path… I’ve just sort of landed in roles and thought, oh, I really like this.”

Her experience at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) as a project coordinator, user researcher and now service designer shows her ongoing interest in user experience.

“I like to help people, make sure they’re happy with their journey,” she says and it was this motivation that led her to enrol in the Service Designer Level 6 Apprenticeship with The JGA Group. This course provided Eve with the essential skills to build on her previous experiences and formalise her understanding of service design, reinforcing the knowledge she had accumulated over the course of her career.

Pursuing Passion Projects

In her initial months as a service designer, Eve hesitated to voice her ideas, unsure of her capabilities. “You know the answer, but you’re reluctant to give it because you’re not 100% sure if you’re getting it right,” she explains. She sought out the apprenticeship to give her a stronger grounding in her work.  

Through the apprenticeship, Eve found her footing, it is enabling her to combine her passion for assisting users with her expanding technical expertise. One of her earliest projects was a discovery around digitising the seafarers’ Training Record Books (TRB), which helped establish pain points in the recording and submission of crucial training logs. She emphasises the importance of user-focused improvements, saying, “The tension I could feel from them [the seafarers] about losing their TRBs was real.”

Eve Laughton

A key benefit of apprenticeships is the studying on the job which Eve highlighted

“To be able to put into the project what I was studying at the time, it just ran alongside so nicely I couldn’t have asked for it to work out any better.”

Eve was also fortunate to have a line manager, who had also transitioned from user research to service design; she became a source of knowledge, mentorship and reassurance during the process. 

Projects that Eve spearheaded include:

  1. Seafarers’ Training Record Book (TRB) – Eve led a research project to uncover pain points seafarers experienced with paper-based training logs. Understanding their anxiety over losing such crucial documents, she proposed a digital solution that would enhance security and accessibility. This transformation will streamline record-keeping and provide seafarers with easy access to their training history, ultimately improving their ability to track progress as they advance in their careers. Overall, the project aimed to enhance user experience while ensuring the integrity of essential documentation.

  2. Menopause Hub – Eve’s launch of the menopause hub at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is a deeply personal and impactful initiative. Drawing from her own experience with early menopause, Eve recognised a significant gap in support for colleagues undergoing similar challenges.“I was lost,” she admits, highlighting the confusion and anxiety many women face during this stage. The hub provides resources, information, and a supportive community where women can share their experiences and access guidance. Eve is also focused on implementing targeted training for line managers to foster understanding and support within the workplace. “We need to ensure that everyone knows how to help,” she states, underscoring her commitment to creating a more inclusive environment.

    The project aims to raise awareness of menopause and promote discussions around it, breaking down stigmas and ensuring that employees feel supported. Eve’s initiative not only addresses a critical need but also empowers women at MCA to navigate their experiences with confidence and support.

  3. Medals Application Process – Eve is currently working on the Merchant Navy’s medals application process as part of her End Point Assessment Project. The change involves digitising the Merchant Navy’s medals application process, traditionally a cumbersome, paper-based system. “At first, it sounded simple, but it’s a lot more complicated,” Eve explains, referring to the intricate eligibility criteria and the significant amount of physical documentation required from applicants.

    Eve aims to streamline the application process by creating an online platform in which applicants can easily verify their eligibility before submitting their documents. This will simplify the process and reduce the stress of potential errors or lost paperwork. By enhancing the user experience, Eve hopes to ensure that ve

The Apprenticeship Experience  

The Service Designer Apprenticeship provided Eve with the structured learning she needed to thrive in her role. The blend of coursework and real-world application helped her integrate new knowledge directly into her daily tasks. “It’s been great because I can apply what I’m learning in real time,” she explains. Eve especially appreciated how the apprenticeship framework aligned with her projects, allowing her to maximise the apprenticeship’s value. “It’s not a chore when you involve it in your everyday work,” she advises future learners.

Eve attributes much of her growth to her line manager and colleagues, who created an environment where she could learn and thrive. “I feel really lucky that it’s all slotted into place,” she says. The apprenticeship’s hands-on nature, combined with her team’s support, helped her develop both technical and soft skills essential for service design.

Looking Forward  

Eve’s key advice to future apprentices is to embed their learning into their day-to-day tasks. “Really try and involve it in your everyday work—it’ll make the learning less of a chore and more enjoyable,” she emphasises. This approach allowed her to manage her off-the-job requirements and stay on top of her work.

As Eve approaches the end of her apprenticeship, she is eager to continue making an impact. Her ultimate goal is to advance into a lead service designer role, focusing on accessibility and digital transformation. “I’m really excited about what’s next,” she shares. “The whole process has given me the confidence that I know how to do my job. It is a lot of work—it’s a Level 6, so it’s not going to be quick and easy, but I think it stretches you. I also think that the sense of achievement at the end will be massive.”

Amy Phillips, Lead Service Designer at Maritime and Coastguard Agency, remarked on the impact of the apprenticeship programme:

“The apprenticeship really helped consolidate Eve’s knowledge and give her the confidence to lead on design projects. She became a line manager shortly before the programme, so I can see this learning and leading loop in action. Her direct report is also doing an apprenticeship – in data – and she is just as supportive as a line manager.”

Amy also expressed pride in the team’s participation in apprenticeship programmes:

“I’m proud that half the team is on an apprenticeship. They are all within a few months of each other, and I’m looking forward to what a powerhouse our practice looks like when they are all on the other side of their EPAs!”