Once upon a time… when I was a young, carefree designer… many earth cycles ago… I found myself stuck under what they call a “glass ceiling.” I struggled to advance within my organisation until my line manager suggested I get a mentor. At the time, I had no idea what she meant. A quick search online told me that a mentor acts as a guide and helps less experienced mentees by sharing their knowledge and experiences to foster growth and development.
Being the person I am, I decided to aim high and asked the CDO (Chief Digital Officer) if he’d be my mentor. To everyone’s great surprise, he said yes. Not to mine, though, as I never fully “got” organisational hierarchy. My thinking was simple: if I want to grow in my career, what better person to speak to than THE person who is “up there”, the highest you could be (in my mind, back then) as a designer?
I remember our first session. I booked a meeting room on the floor that he usually worked on and made sure to be there early. He walked in, sat down, opened his notebook, and said, “Ok—so what can I do for you?” I was shocked! What does this mean? Won’t he tell me what steps I must take to get to where he is? Doesn’t he have a roadmap for me to become a CDO in five years?
Turns out – no. That was not his role in this relationship. His job was to answer my questions, share his experiences, and introduce me to people who could help me grow. It was up to me to do the research and come prepared with questions. He had no homework between sessions. He just had to whip out his notepad in each session and take notes. For years, I didn’t understand why he was taking notes, but now I know that mentors learn just as much as their mentees.
I have been mentoring design students and individuals outside of design for several years. Recently, I’ve noticed more people seeking mentorship. Based on my conversations and observations, I believe this is due to several factors:
- There is so much workplace change happening. I don’t think a month goes by that I don’t hear of an organisation restructuring, laying people off, changing its strategy, etc.
- DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) initiative. I myself have taken part in initiatives where female industry leaders mentor young and aspiring women. The same is true for underrepresented groups.
- One obvious reason for the growing interest in mentoring is skills development and career progression. The current job landscape—both in design and other sectors—has become increasingly difficult to navigate. Unclear job titles, flat hierarchies, and unconventional career paths make it harder for those entering the workforce to understand where they fit and how to advance.
- Another factor is the rise of coaching and personal development culture in some organisations. Throughout my career, I have had people—sometimes more experienced than me—ask for mentoring or coaching sessions simply because they struggled to understand design. This has been a recurring theme, with individuals seeking insight from someone “on the inside” to help them make sense of industry jargon and understand how to apply concepts like design thinking in their work.
A mentee I recently worked with told me they reached out because they believed I was the right person to answer their questions. In our first session, they came prepared with a detailed list, which we went through. At the end of the session, they said they found my answers insightful and felt that their university modules hadn’t provided the same clarity.
Curious, I asked more about their experience. They explained that their lecturers and course materials didn’t present a realistic picture of the industry. What they were looking for was an understanding of how design worked in practice. This made me reflect on how education does a great job teaching technical skills, but often falls short in two key areas—developing soft skills and preparing students for the realities of working in an organisation.
Since COVID, several changes have made it even harder for new designers to enter and thrive in the industry. Some companies have adopted flatter hierarchies, resulting in large teams where everyone reports to a single line manager. With limited time and capacity, these managers often struggle to provide individual support for career growth and skill development, leaving designers to find their own way.
Another major shift is the rise of remote work, with many design teams now home-based. While I personally appreciate avoiding the commute, remote work presents challenges for junior designers trying to learn from more experienced colleagues. Although catch-ups and team meetings help, they don’t fully replace the informal learning that happens in an office—watching how others work, asking quick questions, or listening in on discussions. These spontaneous interactions are difficult to replicate in a virtual environment.
One way a team I used to work with addressed this was by introducing weekly design critique sessions. These created a space for everyone to share their work, discuss different approaches, and normalise feedback. Junior designers could see how others reviewed work, understand that critique is a natural part of the process at all levels, and feel comfortable asking questions in a supportive setting.
Networking has also become more challenging without regular office interactions. As a result, several mentees have reached out for support in this area. Some ask for introductions to specific people in my workplace or LinkedIn network, while others seek guidance on how and where to network. A major issue is the lack of visibility—working in isolation can hinder career progression.
I’m not suggesting a full return to office life. Personally, I appreciate working from home and avoiding a daily commute. It allows me to focus without constant interruptions and improves my work-life balance, as I don’t spend hours travelling at the end of the day. Remote work has also made workplaces more accessible for those who previously found office environments difficult—people with disabilities, those living abroad, individuals with social anxiety, carers, parents, and those in remote areas can now collaborate more effectively. Before COVID, I rarely used Teams, but now virtual collaboration is second nature. However, it’s important that we find better ways to replicate informal, tacit learning in remote settings.
I recently read a paper by Junn et al. (2023) on virtual mentoring, highlighting how COVID-19 accelerated its adoption. While technical and logistical challenges exist, studies suggest virtual mentoring can be as effective as in-person mentoring. Regular meetings and proactive engagement help overcome barriers like time zone differences and the lack of informal interactions. Hybrid mentorship models may become the new standard, blending structured virtual mentoring with occasional in-person interactions.
There are many ways to improve the mentoring experience, and one approach I found particularly effective was used by a company I worked for in the past. They assigned each employee both a Line Manager and an Advocate—two separate roles. The Line Manager handled administrative tasks, resourcing, and day-to-day work, while the Advocate provided career guidance from a different area of the organisation, offering a fresh perspective.
For example, my Line Manager was the Head of Portfolio, responsible for overseeing all team leads, while my Career Advocate was the Head of Strategy and Leadership. When I joined, I was asked if I had an interest in any of the organisation’s eight capabilities. I chose strategy and leadership because I saw it as a potential career path and an area I wanted to grow into.
This structure was particularly beneficial for employees looking to expand beyond their immediate field. Every few months, there was an opportunity to switch Advocates, allowing employees to explore different areas before committing to a specific path. Many used this as a stepping stone to transition into new roles.
Having an Advocate who could offer guidance, assess skills from a different perspective, and support professional development was invaluable. The company referred to them as Career Advocates, but in practice, they acted as mentors. The system was also flexible—those uninterested in an Advocate could rely solely on their Line Manager, while others could request an Advocate from their own discipline. Some of my team members opted for the latter, preferring mentorship from someone with a design background because they had no plans to transition into another field.
Mentoring plays a crucial role in shaping design practitioners, influencing both personal growth and professional development. Hansford and Ehrich (2006) examined the significance of mentoring by reviewing 40 research papers to identify both positive and negative outcomes for mentors and mentees. They found that “Frequently cited positive outcomes for mentees included support, sharing ideas and professional development while, for mentors, networking, professional development and the opportunity to reflect were noted. Frequently cited negative outcomes for mentors and mentees were lack of time to undertake mentoring and personality or expertise mismatch.”
From my own experience, I have observed two major pitfalls in mentoring programmes. The first is the issue of personality or expertise mismatch. This often occurs when mentees sign up without a clear understanding of what mentoring involves or what they hope to gain. Many do not come prepared with specific questions, nor have they researched their mentor’s background to understand how they could benefit from their experience. In some cases, mentees are placed into mentoring programmes due to issues such as underperformance or difficulties integrating into a team. While these individuals often still gain valuable insights by the end of the programme, the process can be stressful for both mentor and mentee.
Ultimately, mentoring is about using past experiences to support others. Mentors volunteer their time to help people who may be facing challenges in the workplace or who simply want to learn from someone further along in their career. It is a two-way process where both mentor and mentee learn from each other, but it requires effort from both sides to make the relationship work.
Mentorship is valuable at every stage of a career and does not always need to be formal. Throughout my career, I have learned from many individuals whom I considered mentors, even if they were unaware of it. The guidance, insights, and support I have received have been instrumental in both my professional development and personal growth.
If you are looking for a mentor, it is essential to first understand what mentoring is and what you hope to gain from it. Start by exploring your existing network to see if someone can help answer your questions or guide you in your field of interest. If you are struggling to find the right person, structured mentoring programmes can be a good option—but it is important to be clear about the kind of mentor you need and the expertise you are looking for. Many mentoring relationships fail simply because they are not the right match.
Reference:
- Hansford, B. and Ehrich, L.C. (2006), “The principalship: how significant is mentoring?”, Journal of Educational Administration, Vol. 44 No. 1, pp. 36-52. https://doi-org.libezproxy.open.ac.uk/10.1108/09578230610642647
- Junn, J. C., Whitman, G. J., Wasnik, A. P., Wang, M. X., Guelfguat, M., Goodman, E. D., & Middlebrooks, E. H. (2023). Virtual Mentoring: A Guide to Navigating a New Age in Mentorship. Academic Radiology, 30(4), 749–754. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acra.2022.08.014
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