Pavel Bukengolts🇺🇸

About Pavel Bukengolts

Head of UX & Product Design at UX Design Lab, LLC

I’m a UX design leader and educator with 20+ years of experience shaping products through human-centered design, accessibility, and data-driven strategy. For over 15 years, I’ve led design teams and taught in higher education, mentoring the next generation of UX leaders. My work brings together design thinking, AI, emerging technologies, digital transformation, and inclusive practices to solve real-world problems and create a lasting impact.

Expertise

Sessions with Pavel Bukengolts

• General Mentorship (45 min): A single session to address your immediate challenges. We can use this time for a quick portfolio review, answers to general design questions, or advice on navigating the UX/Product design industry. We will focus on identifying clear, actionable next steps for your current situation.
• Two-Part: Portfolio, Resume, Design Strategy (45 min): Session 1: We will perform an in-depth review of your portfolio, resume, or a specific design project and identify areas for improvement. Session 2: We will meet again to review the changes you’ve implemented and discuss broader design strategy or career goals. Note: Only book this if you are prepared to iterate on your work between the two meetings.
• UX Portfolio-to-Interview Sprint (60 min): Bring your resume, target role, portfolio, and one priority case study. Across three weekly sessions, we'll turn unclear work into a focused hiring story and practice presenting it under interview pressure. Session 1 — Diagnose • Review your target role, resume, portfolio, and case study • Identify the three highest-impact gaps • Agree on a revision plan Session 2 — Rebuild • Review your revised case study • Strengthen your contribution, decisions, constraints, evidence, and impact • Prepare your spoken portfolio walkthrough Session 3 — Pressure-test • Run a realistic portfolio walkthrough or interview simulation • Debrief the weak points • Leave with a prioritized 30-day action plan Best for designers actively applying, rebuilding a portfolio, or preparing for interviews. This does not include job placement, referrals, unlimited async review, or a full UX foundations course.

What mentees say

“Pavel helped me identify key gaps in my skills and areas for professional growth. We outlined a clear plan for my next steps and development. The session was well-structured, insightful, and straight to the point. I really appreciated his honest feedback, professional approach, and practical advice.”

“Pavel has provided me with so many valuable feedback on my case studies and portfolio. Very useful advice on how to better communicate my thought process. I'm looking forward to meeting with Pavel again.”

“Pavel has given me a whole new perspective on building and presenting case studies, and he has also made me think twice about my own work. He is someone who can really help you move ahead in your career. Looking forward to getting as many insights as possible from his experience.”