UX Design Consultants in New York City to Watch for in 2025
NYC UX Experts to Know in 2025
New York City is a living organism — buzzing with business, pulsing with tech innovation, and shaped by its people. Nowhere is this more evident than in the way digital products get built here. In the five boroughs and surrounding areas, UX design consultants aren’t just creating sleek interfaces — they’re solving complex problems, architecting brand experiences, and making the city more usable, accessible, and human-forward.
The influence of these experts extends beyond products and screens. They shape how people experience banking, healthcare, culture, media, and everyday life. In NYC, where ambition meets artistry and pragmatism fuses with flair, UX designers must be problem-solvers and visionaries. That’s where our list comes in.
At Digital Reference, we’ve done the deep work — researching dozens of consultants, interviewing founders and product managers, digging into portfolios, and tracking social and professional impact — to curate this standout selection of UX talent based right here in New York. Our process emphasizes:
- 📍 Local presence in the NYC metro area
- 🧠 Proven UX design methodology and human-centered strategies
- 🏆 Recognized client success and standout case studies
- 🌐 Strong thought leadership through writing, speaking, and community contribution
- 📣 Clear communication and transparent UX process
We’ve featured solo consultants, founders of boutique firms, and agency leaders — all of whom bring something uniquely New York to the design conversation.
Firat Parlak
Founder, Awesome
Firat Parlak is the founder of Awesome, a UX and product design studio that lives up to its name. With over a decade of leadership in UX, Firat has established himself as one of NYC’s most well-connected and forward-thinking design voices. His approach is uniquely product-minded — grounded in iteration, experimentation, and business value.
Firat isn’t just a designer — he’s a facilitator of momentum. He often works with early-stage startups and fast-scaling companies to bring ideas to market faster, smarter, and with greater impact.
💡 Highlights:
- 💼 Clients include Fortune 500 companies like Google, Bose, and Samsung as well as NYC-based startups
- 🤝 Deep focus on stakeholder alignment through workshops and design sprints
- 🛠️ Specializes in helping clients get from MVP to Version 1 with lean UX strategy
- 🎤 Active community builder with UX roundtables and startup mentorship
His team at Awesome operates like an extension of the companies they serve, and it’s that collaborative spirit that continues to set him apart.
Adam Perlis
Founder, Academy
Adam Perlis blends media polish with UX insight — a natural pairing given his early background in creative direction and design thinking at brands like AT&T and Time Inc. As founder of Academy, a product design and branding studio, Adam leads projects that feel cinematic in polish and laser-sharp in UX thinking.
Academy isn’t just a name — it’s a mindset. Adam is a big believer in mentorship, collaboration, and education within the design ecosystem.
💡 Highlights:
- 🎯 Has led UX for NBCUniversal, Facebook, and The New York Times
- 🧩 Highly modular design systems focused on scalability for fast-growing startups
- 🎓 Public speaker and educator — known for sharing processes and insights openly
- 🌟 Academy’s brand/UX hybrid approach has earned it a loyal NYC tech following
For teams looking to merge brand, UX, and growth in one cohesive vision, Adam is a go-to partner.
Tobias van Schneider
Founder & Creative Director, House of van Schneider (HOVS)
Tobias van Schneider is not just a designer — he’s a global design brand and product visionary. Based in New York City by way of Austria and Germany, Tobias is the founder and creative director of House of van Schneider (HOVS), a design studio that builds and runs its own independent products, while occasionally collaborating with high-profile partners such as NASA/JPL to brand their space missions.
Tobias is known for his bold, minimalist aesthetic and thoughtful product philosophy. He’s the co-founder of Semplice™and Carbonmade™, two platforms that have become staples for creatives looking to showcase their portfolios. More recently, he's focused on growing mymind™, an AI-enhanced private platform for storing thoughts, inspirations, and digital memory — what he calls a "mind palace."
💡 Highlights:
- 🎨 Founder of HOVS, a studio that builds its own creative products from the ground up
- 🌌 Collaborated with NASA/JPL to brand and visualize space missions
- 🧠 Creator of mymind, a private digital space for creative thinking and mental clarity
- 🖥️ Co-founder of Semplice and Carbonmade —portfolio tools trusted by thousands of designers
- 🖊️ Shares deep thoughts on design, independence, and creativity through his writing and platforms
With nearly two decades of building tools that empower the creative community, Tobias continues to lead by example. His work is not only beautifully crafted — it champions intentionality, autonomy, and design with a point of view.
Jonathan Chan
Design Director & Co-Founder, Prototypical
LinkedIn | prototypical.agency
Jonathan Chan is a cross-disciplinary UX leader and the Design Director and Co-Founder of Prototypical, a user experience agency that blends strategy, design, and technology to solve complex digital problems. Based in New York, Jonathan’s approach is anchored in research, precision, and high-functioning team collaboration.
At Prototypical, Jonathan helps shape the agency's design ethos, leading multi-disciplinary teams through UX architecture, UI systems, and product strategy across enterprise and startup clients. His deep portfolio includes enterprise dashboards, SaaS platforms, and scalable mobile solutions.
💡 Highlights:
- 🚀 Co-founded Prototypical to focus on experience design at scale
- 🔍 Applies research and usability testing to validate UX decisions
- 🛠️ Designs for complex, data-heavy platforms with clarity and structure
- 🤝 Known for his calm, organized leadership style and commitment to collaboration
Clients consistently commend Jonathan for his ability to deliver elegant UX solutions under pressure — a rare skill that makes him a trusted consultant in high-stakes environments.
Kevin Park
Professor & UX Researcher
Dr. Kevin Park is part practitioner, part academic — a UX research leader who bridges the gap between theory and real-world application. Based at the New York Institute of Technology, Kevin conducts usability studies and teaches user experience design to the next generation of professionals.
With decades of experience in UX research methodologies, he’s become a trusted voice in HCI (Human-Computer Interaction) both in academia and industry.
💡 Highlights:
- 🧠 Leads academic research into cognitive load and interaction behavior
- 🖥️ Consultant for UX evaluation in complex systems like medical interfaces and IoT
- 📘 Published author and frequent conference speaker
- 🎓 Deeply invested in shaping inclusive, ethical UX practices
Kevin’s impact is felt across product, pedagogy, and practice — an embodiment of UX’s evolution in NYC.
Marti Bruno
Founder, Flueed Digital Studios
Marti Bruno is one of NYC’s most data-informed UX designers — with a rare skill set that fuses deep research, motion design, and high-fidelity prototyping. As the founder of Flueed Digital Studios, Marti brings an entrepreneurial edge to every engagement, often taking on projects that require both vision and hands-on precision.
He has spent the past decade working across digital, mobile, web, UI, interactive service, and platform design. His design philosophy centers on clarity, flexibility, and user-first thinking, and he thrives in freelance and studio environments alike.
💡 Highlights:
- 🧪 Combines quantitative testing with diary studies and ethnography
- 🎞️ Expert in motion design as a UX tool — not just for delight, but for clarity
- 🧭 Deep experience in both branding and digital product design
- 🧰 Brings a multi-disciplinary approach to interaction and visual systems
Marti’s wide-ranging portfolio is a showcase of versatility and execution — hallmarks of NYC design culture.
Why These UX Consultants Matter to NYC — and to You
From global design icons to community-focused researchers, this list is a celebration of what UX in New York really means. It’s not just about aesthetics. It’s about intention, structure, accessibility, and the belief that better digital experiences lead to better human ones.
At Digital Reference, we believe that spotlighting consultants like these helps bring transparency to an often-confusing hiring process. If you’re a founder, PM, or HR lead, our curated expert roundups and guidance can help you make better design hires — without needing to become a UX expert yourself.
If you’re a UX consultant yourself, consider joining the Digital Reference network. We’re building a platform that supports great designers with visibility, vetted leads, and a community that respects the craft of UX.
To learn more about what we do and how we do it, check out our About page and let’s make design hiring smarter — together.
Stay tuned for updates to this list as the NYC UX landscape continues to evolve in 2025 and beyond.
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