UX Design Lab
Discuss a project
  1. SignalsRecognize the problem.01 of 08: Signals. Recognize the problem.
  2. OutcomesWhat is different when the work is done.02 of 08: Outcomes. What is different when the work is done.
  3. ApproachAssess, align, implement, iterate.03 of 08: Approach. Assess, align, implement, iterate.
  4. ProofDe-risking a $900K build.04 of 08: Proof. De-risking a $900K build.
  5. ServicesFocused ways in.05 of 08: Services. Focused ways in.
  6. EngagementScoped to the problem, not a package.06 of 08: Engagement. Scoped to the problem, not a package.
  7. PavelWho you work with.07 of 08: Pavel. Who you work with.
  8. ContactStart a conversation.08 of 08: Contact. Start a conversation.

Product Strategy & Incubation

Choose what to build

Clarify the problem, test the riskiest assumptions, and build enough evidence to decide what should move forward.

Discuss the decision

Recognize the problem.

If two or more of these sound familiar, start here.

  1. S/01

    The roadmap is full, but priority changes every quarter.

  2. S/02

    A major initiative has executive support but limited evidence.

  3. S/03

    Different groups are defining the problem differently.

  4. S/04

    Research exists but has not resolved the decision.

  5. S/05

    A new initiative is approaching delivery before the assumptions have been tested.

What changes.

What is different when the work is done — things you can point to, not adjectives.

  1. Change 01

    Major initiatives have explicit decision criteria and success measures.

  2. Change 02

    Assumptions carrying the most financial or product risk are visible.

  3. Change 03

    Leadership can review a concrete experience before committing large delivery capacity.

  4. Change 04

    Work that cannot justify investment is removed, reshaped, or deferred.

How we work.

Assess. Align. Implement. Iterate. Applied to the work with the most at stake.

  1. Assess

    Review the existing evidence, roadmap, constraints, users, risks, and investment assumptions.

  2. Align

    Define the decision, product hypothesis, success measures, and unresolved questions.

  3. Implement

    Use research, modeling, prototyping, or incubation to test the questions carrying the most risk.

  4. Iterate

    Document decisions and evidence so the method can be repeated as the product evolves.

Proof.

Comparable work, with its provenance stated.

Proof · SERVICE DESIGN · Product Strategy & Incubation

De-risking a $900K build.

Context

A two-week service-design diagnostic identified that 42 of 45 documented pain points were process-based. The proposed software investment was halted, avoiding more than $900K in unnecessary build cost.

Provenance

Strategic product de-risking before build — measured during the engagement.Read the case: De-risking a $900K build. →
Client team at a workshop wall working through workflows, journey maps and a service blueprint.
FIG. 05.1Client team working through workflows, journey maps and the service blueprint that exposed where the service broke.

What changed

93%
OF IDENTIFIED ISSUES WERE NON-TECHNICAL
$900K+
UNNECESSARY SOFTWARE INVESTMENT AVOIDED
2 WEEKS
FROM BRIEF TO SHARED DIAGNOSIS

Business pattern

Large software investments carry unnecessary risk when the underlying service has never been mapped.

Pavel Bukengolts smiling and gesturing by a window overlooking a city skyline

Senior work stays senior.

You work directly with Pavel Bukengolts, UXDL founder and principal, on assessment, major decisions, and direction. Specialist collaborators join when the work requires additional expertise or capacity.

Recognition

  • ADPList 100

    Recognized among the top mentors on ADPList.

  • 2026 GNTC Tech Educator of the Year

    Finalist, Greater Nashville Technology Council.

  • UX Magazine contributor

    Published on product, accessibility and AI practice.

Bring the decision that keeps circling.

We can start with the roadmap, initiative, research, or disagreement and work backward to the evidence needed.

Prefer email? [email protected]

Project inquiry

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