{"id":22287,"date":"2018-10-31T18:01:05","date_gmt":"2018-10-31T10:01:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/?p=22287"},"modified":"2018-10-29T19:55:28","modified_gmt":"2018-10-29T11:55:28","slug":"design-mentor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/design-mentor\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Reasons Why Designers Need a Mentor"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is a mentor? Plenty of people think it\u2019s some formal, master\/apprentice agreement that lasts for a certain number of years, but it doesn\u2019t have to be. A mentor is simply someone with more experience than you<\/strong>, who helps guide you on the right path and steer you away from the most common mistakes<\/a> young designers make.<\/p>\n

These can be relationships that last for a short period of months or years \u2013 or they can last for a lifetime. The bottom line is, if you\u2019re a professional designer, you will need your own mentor at some point. Let\u2019s explore some of the reasons why every designer needs to find a mentor of their own<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Recommended Reading:<\/strong> How to Become a Design Thought Leader<\/a><\/p>\n

You Don\u2019t Have To Reinvent The Wheel<\/h2>\n

Why bang your head against the wall over and over again? A mentor can tell you what will work and what won\u2019t in your designs, as well as your career as a whole<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"reinvent<\/figure>\n

Lessons that might take you years to learn about how to deal with clients<\/a>, incorporate storytelling properly<\/a>, or communicate with your target audience in a way that will have them begging for more can all be learned quickly and efficiently from a mentor<\/strong>. The few nuggets of wisdom I\u2019ve received from mentors in the past have been invaluable in helping me avoid costly mistakes in my career.<\/p>\n

Not A Perfect Match? No Problem<\/h2>\n

Another thing to note here is that these mentors don\u2019t actually have to be designers, or matched exactly to the kind of work you do<\/strong>. The most helpful mentor I\u2019ve ever had was a business developer with many years of advertising and PR experience.<\/p>\n

I do none of those things in my work (I\u2019m a brand designer and copywriter), but still, the things he taught me were applicable to the work I do as well. Don\u2019t be afraid to look outside your industry<\/strong> for those who have things to teach you.<\/p>\n

\"design<\/figure>\n

Making The Connections<\/h2>\n

A good mentor can introduce you to people in and out of your industry you would otherwise never have the chance to meet<\/strong>. Have your eye on that awesome client you\u2019ve been dying to work for? He or she might be acquainted with your mentor, and they can make the introduction for you. That saves you months or even years of trying (and failing) to get your foot in the door.<\/p>\n

Want more visibility for the cool personal projects you do on the side? Your mentor might know someone who knows someone who can get you that visibility.<\/p>\n

Read Also:<\/strong> Designers: How Being Opinionated Can Increase Your Visibility<\/a><\/p>\n

\"making<\/figure>\n

You never know who knows who in the creative industry. It\u2019s a smaller community than you think, and people do talk to one another<\/strong> \u2013 about the good as well as the bad. It\u2019s often said that \u201cit\u2019s not what you know, it\u2019s who you know.\u201d I would go one step further and add: \u201cit\u2019s not who you know\u2026it\u2019s who they<\/em> know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Your mentor may not be the CEO or president of anything impressive themselves, but it\u2019s likely they know someone who is.<\/p>\n

More Credibility As A Designer<\/h2>\n

Designers who have illustrious mentors have a certain prestige that other designers don\u2019t have<\/strong>. Being able to name-drop some rockstar designer gets attention and opens up doors to better opportunities in the industry. You don\u2019t even have to learn anything significant from them.<\/p>\n

Simply by being associated with them you will have raised your status as a designer, and others will seek you out on that connection alone.<\/p>\n

Read Also:<\/strong> Reputation Management: How It Affects Your Freelance Career<\/a><\/p>\n

It might seem sleazy, but it\u2019s just human nature. We all want to be associated with something great<\/strong>, and if your mentor is really as great as people think they are, they can help you filter out those not worth associating or doing business with.<\/p>\n

\"designers\"<\/figure>\n

Moral Support<\/h2>\n

A mentor has a vested interest in seeing you succeed. They\u2019ll be there for the ups and downs of your career<\/strong>, cheering you on when you achieve something great. Since they\u2019re already established, there\u2019s no jealousy or need to compete with you for your accolades (if there is, run as far away as you can \u2013 that\u2019s not a good mentor at all). All that will be there is pride at your accomplishments and an ear to listen to your struggles.<\/p>\n

\"moral<\/figure>\n

The very best mentors can almost assume the role of a family member<\/strong>, offering you the same kind of support that you might get from a parent or best friend, only with more technical knowledge of your field. Grandma might love your work, but unless she\u2019s a designer, the advice she\u2019ll be able to give you will be limited.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n

How has having a mentor helped your design career? Do you have any thoughts on what having (or being) a design mentor is all about?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What is a mentor? Plenty of people think it\u2019s some formal, master\/apprentice agreement that lasts for a certain number of years, but it doesn\u2019t have to be. A mentor is simply someone with more experience than you, who helps guide you on the right path and steer you away from the most common mistakes young…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":129,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[352],"tags":[510,511],"topic":[4520],"class_list":["entry-content","is-maxi"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n5 Reasons Why Designers Need a Mentor - Hongkiat<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What is a mentor? 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