As a UX designer, I’ve had the privilege of benefiting from both sides of mentorship, thanks to ADPList:
And yes, there are many mentorship programs out there that connect mentees and mentors, but the one I recommend is ADPList. I suggest it not just because I’ve had a good experience with it but also because of how amazing it is — it literally stands for “Amazing Design People List,” after all.
In this article, I will highlight the importance of mentorship in UX design and ADPList’s role in connecting mentees with mentors. Stick through!
The ADPList is a democratized mentorship platform for designers, product managers, and people in tech, where mentees learn from mentors in their field without breaking the bank.
It was co-founded in 2020 by Felix Lee and James Lim during the COVID-19 pandemic to bridge the gap between newbies or less experienced designers and the tech profession. It provides guidance and networking opportunities to help the mentees grow their confidence, expand their professional networks, and advance in their careers.
The main mission of ADPList is to create a democratized mentorship platform for everyone. The co-founders designed a platform that provides a welcoming environment and support system for designers, product managers, and developers. The goal is to help them connect, grow together, and strive to improve.
In this section, I’ll break down the standout features that make ADPList the ultimate mentor-meets-mentee playground:
Let me start with stats. About 90% of workers who have a career mentor claim to be happy in their place of work. This alone shows how crucial mentorship is to professional satisfaction and career development.
Most people think mentorship favors the mentee more, but I’m going to say that isn’t true. Both parties, the mentor and mentee, are positively impacted:
Benefits of mentorship in UX design to mentees:
Benefits of mentorship in UX design to mentors:
In this section, I’ll show how to sign up and get started with ADPList so you can benefit from mentorship as a designer.
Note that you can only sign up as either a mentee or a mentor in ADPList; there is no in-between.
Many people attribute their design success and growth to the mentorship they got at ADPList. Cami and Bhu, for example, both reached out to each other on the platform and ever since then, they’ve grown a good mentor and mentee relationship.
They explain how ADPList has shaped their career by bringing them both together:
More Than A Mentor | Amazing Together | ADPList
We’re celebrating our community of mentors and designers like Cami-Travis Groves and Bhu Kandola. When we unite, we can be #AmazingTogether. SUBSCRIBE https://www.youtube.com/adplist ABOUT ADPLIST ADPList is a community platform on a mission to inspire creative conversations and collaborations globally. We connect designers from around the world to design mentors for portfolio reviews to career advice.
For designers, the ADPList stands out among other mentorship platforms like MentorCruise and LinkedIn mentorships. I say this not just because it is design-focused but also for its simplicity and other features:
Feature | ADPList | MentorCruise | LinkedIn Mentorship |
Cost | Free | Paid | Paid (part of LinkedIn membership) |
Ease of use | Intuitive and user-friendly | More complex due to the paid tiers | Simple but limited functionality |
Mentor availability | Wide global reach, design-focused | Available for various fields, less design-focused | Limited availability, generic mentors |
Depth of engagement | High; 1:1 sessions and feedback | Moderate; fewer feedback opportunities | Low; limited interaction |
Pros
Cons:
If you’re a UX designer in the early stages of your career, get a mentor. If you’re a more experienced designer, consider mentoring someone else.
All of this might sound straightforward and obvious, but many designers still miss out on the opportunity.
As someone who has been in both shoes of mentorship, I can tell you for a fact that being both a mentee and a mentor has significantly shaped the designer I am today and continue to be. You can also benefit from it with ADPList.
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