Table of Contents
- Why is mentorship important for UX designers?
- 3 types of mentorship UX designer can look for
- 1. The skills mentor
- 2. The career therapist
- 3. The industry oracle
- Where can UX designer find UX mentor?
- Option 1: Social platforms
- Option 2: Your current workplace
- Option 3: Communities (Discord, Slack, Facebook groups)
- The right way to ask someone for mentorship
- What do you owe your design mentor?
- What good mentees do:
- 1. They show up prepared
- 2. They actually do the work
- 3. They give back (even when they don't have much)
- The mentorship lifecycle (what happens after the first call)
- Phase 1: Months 1-2
- Phase 2: Months 3-6
- Phase 3: Months 6+
- When you need and don't need mentorship
- Final note
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Why is mentorship important for UX designers?
UX designers face ambiguity every day: messy problem spaces, conflicting feedback, unclear requirements, shifting stakeholders, and decisions that rarely have a “right” answer. That’s why mentorship is so important. It gives you:
- A professional reputation boost
- A shortcut through years of trial and error
- A clearer sense of your strengths and weaknesses
- A way to check your intuition against experience
A good UX mentor makes you a better designer and a more hireable one. They reveal the version of you that employers wish more designers were.
As Mollie puts it:
“I don’t want to be told ‘great idea, good job.’ I need someone who’s going to put me in my place and tell me where my thinking is off and how to make it better.”
In this article, we’ll cover how to find the right design mentor and grow faster as a UX designer.
👉 The insight in this blog traces back to a thoughtful conversation with Mollie — here’s the full discussion:
3 types of mentorship UX designer can look for
Stop looking for one magical person to solve all your problems. That's not how this works.
1. The skills mentor
This person is stupid good at something you suck at. Maybe it's:
- Research methods (you guess, they validate)
- Design systems (you create chaos, they create order)
- Stakeholder management (you cave, they negotiate)
- Visual design (you can make it functional, they can make it beautiful)
Mollie specifically seeks out mentors outside design, like a VP of Product, in order to strengthen her t-shaped skills:
“I need to broaden what I like to call my t-shaped skills. What about product strategy? What about data? Those aren't my forte.”
2. The career therapist
This is the person who's been exactly where you are. They remember:
- The terror of bootcamp graduation
- The impostor syndrome that hits at 2am
- The 200 job applications that went nowhere
- The bad boss who made you question everything
They don't fix your problems. They remind you that survival is possible.
3. The industry oracle
This person is 5-10 years ahead of you. They see patterns you can't see yet. They know:
- Which companies are actually designer-friendly
- How to navigate politics without losing your soul
- Which career moves look good on paper but suck in reality
Where can UX designer find UX mentor?
Option 1: Social platforms
This is my personal favorite because it's passive-aggressive networking at its finest. Here's what you can do:
- Find designers whose content makes you think (not just feel good)
- Actually read their posts for 2-3 weeks
- Comment with substance (not “great post!” but actual thoughts)
- Notice when they share struggles, not just wins
- DM them with a specific question about something they posted
Mollie confirms this works:
“The amount of information you can find from individuals on LinkedIn that are putting out content, that's mentorship in a way. Follow the right people.”
Example: I've learned more about business from binging Shaan Puri's content than from any formal course. He doesn't know I exist, but I've consumed 50+ hours of his thinking. That counts.
Option 2: Your current workplace
Mollie's been mentored by former coworkers for 10+ years:
“A lot of the mentors I've had along the way are people that have been direct co-workers with me. We've carved relationships and we reach out to each other still to this day.” — She shared.
Here's what you can do:
- Don't ask “Will you be my mentor?” (that's weird)
- Do ask “Can I grab 30 minutes to ask about [specific thing]?”
- Then do it again next month
- Congratulations, you have a mentor
Option 3: Communities (Discord, Slack, Facebook groups)
There are designer communities everywhere. Some are garbage. Some are gold.
The good ones:
- People actually help each other (not just self-promote)
- Senior folks stick around (they're not just hunting for clients)
- Conversations go deep (beyond “what font should I use?”)
How to use them:
- Lurk for 2 weeks to understand the culture
- Help 5 people before asking for help once
- Be specific with questions (more on this later)
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The right way to ask someone for mentorship
Here's what NOT to say:
- “Will you be my mentor?” (too vague, too scary)
- “I need help with everything” (too broad, too needy)
- “Can we talk sometime?” (too ambiguous, too easy to ignore)
Here's what works — The 30-Minute Ask:
”Hey [Name], I've been following your work on [specific thing]. I'm currently working through [specific challenge] and would love 30 minutes of your brain on [specific question]. Does next Tuesday work?”
Why this works:
- Time-bound (30 minutes isn't scary)
- Specific (they know what you want)
- Flattering (you've done your homework)
- Low-commitment (it's one conversation, not a lifetime bond)
Mollie's approach:
“Rather than saying 'I'm seeking a mentor, would you be interested?' it's more just start with questions. You'll find that people are more than willing if you just angle it as 'can we set up 30 minutes, I have a couple questions.'”
👉 How to find a good design mentor
What do you owe your design mentor?
This might cause controversy: Mentorship should generally be free.
There's a difference between:
- Mentorship: Periodic guidance from someone invested in your growth
- Coaching: Structured, paid, outcome-focused professional service
Mollie's take:
“I don't ask for payment for direct mentorship. I'm literally doing it to help. I've put a lot of years into this industry, I've had amazing mentors, so I look at it as giving back.”
BUT, and this is important, you owe your mentor something more valuable than money: respect for their time.
What good mentees do:
1. They show up prepared
Don't waste someone's time making them pull information out of you. Come with:
- Specific questions
- Context on what you've already tried
- A clear ask (portfolio review? Career advice? Skill guidance?)
Mollie's frustration:
“I've certainly had sessions where people are not prepared and the last thing you want to do is sit and stare at each other.”
2. They actually do the work
Want to know what makes mentors fall in love with their mentees? Hear what Mollie said:
“Any advice I would give to my mentee, he would come back in the next session and say 'look how I did it, look what I implemented, here was the result, now here's what I'm thinking, how do we make this better?'”
That's the shit that makes mentors want to help you.
3. They give back (even when they don't have much)
Here's a story that'll change how you think about mentorship:
Someone once approached Chris saying they wanted to help build UX Playbook's community (which was basically dead at the time). They were a community designer, had relevant experience, and offered their skills for free in exchange for mentorship conversations.
Result? Chris works alongside this person now. And he can't help but drop career advice whenever they talk because they've already given him value.
Mollie confirms:
“What's in it for me as a mentor? I'm learning too. I'm figuring out how to help situations, talk through problems. You're helping me communicate how to solve problems.”
The mentorship lifecycle (what happens after the first call)
Okay, you found someone. You had a great first conversation. Now what?
Phase 1: Months 1-2
Everything is new and exciting. You're soaking up advice. They're enjoying helping. The energy is high.
What to do:
- Meet monthly (more is overkill unless they offer)
- Come prepared with specific questions
- Update them on what you implemented from last time
Phase 2: Months 3-6
The relationship either deepens or fizzles. You're both busy. Life happens. The key question: is this still valuable?
What to do:
- Be honest if the fit isn't right (it's okay to move on)
- If it IS working, make it official-ish (recurring calendar invite)
- Start giving back (share resources, make introductions, offer help)
Phase 3: Months 6+
The best mentorship relationships become peer relationships.
What to do:
- Keep them updated on big wins
- Ask for their take on your evolving goals (as you grow, your needs change)
- Introduce them to people in your network (pay it forward)
- Start mentoring others (the cycle continues)
Mollie's been mentored by people she worked with 10 years ago:
“We may have worked with each other 10 years ago but we help each other through problems still to this day.”
When you need and don't need mentorship
You DON'T need a mentor if:
- You just want validation: Mentors aren't here to make you feel good about mediocre work.
- You want someone to do the work for you: Mentors don't do your portfolio, apply to jobs, or make decisions for you.
- You're not willing to take action: If you're the person who asks for advice then does nothing with it, save everyone's time.
You DO need a mentor if:
- You're stuck on a specific problem you can't Google your way out of
- You need a sounding board for decisions (this job vs. that job)
- You need someone to challenge your thinking (not just agree)
- You're navigating a career transition (junior to mid, IC to lead, etc.)
Final note
Finding a mentor is about building relationships with people who give a shit about your growth. People who'll tell you when you're wrong. People who'll celebrate when you win. People who've been exactly where you are and remember how much it sucked.
Remember this:
You become a better designer not by finding the perfect mentor, but by being the kind of person a great mentor wants to help.
So stop waiting for permission. Stop looking for the magical person who'll fix everything. Stop making excuses about why this isn't the right time.
Send the message. Book the call. Ask the question.
Your future self, the one who's landed the job, leading the team, mentoring others, will thank you.
All the best 🍀
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