Me, in roughly the right order

I lead product design… and I still design.

I’m Panos Vergopoulos. About 25 years in this industry, the last 13 or so leading UX and product teams. I was born in Athens, I’ve lived and worked in three countries, and I’ve shared a desk with people from something like 53 nationalities – which cures you fast of the idea that there’s one right way to do anything.

Right now I’m a Senior Manager for UX/Product Design in Dubai. In practice that means I build teams, shape strategy, run discovery and research, and still open Figma when the work needs it. I’m not the kind of manager who’s forgotten how the tools work.

A few things I actually care about: design that earns its place in a business, teams that are good to be part of, and handing on what I’ve learned. I mentor designers, build career frameworks, and try to leave a practice in better shape than I found it.

How I got here:

I started in web design in 1998. Since then: publishing, advertising, travel startups, big corporates, and my own studio along the way (Design Kinks). Since 2013 I’ve been deep in travel – airfasttickets, tajawal, and almosafer (Seera Group).

Two mottoes I’ve never quite shaken, one from each school: Non Ministrari Sed Ministrare and Innovation and Excellence. They’ve held up.

Off the clock, I’m a trained chef. Mediterranean fusion, French technique, and a frankly unreasonable commitment to BBQ. People tell me it shows in how I approach products: good ingredients, no shortcuts, and someone should actually enjoy the result.