Empowering Growth: A UX Team’s Journey Through Mentorship and Skill Building

As a UX leader, one of the most fulfilling aspects of my role is helping others grow—not just in their craft, but in their confidence, leadership, and ability to support others. Recently, I had the opportunity to co-create a skill-building initiative with a Sr. Designer on my team that embodied those values. It was a project rooted in mentorship, collaboration, and a shared growth mindset—and it turned out to be a win for everyone involved.

I believe that fostering an environment of continuous learning is essential to both individual success and team strength. As a UX team, we’ve embraced mentorship and professional development as core components of our culture. Here’s how we approached it—and what we learned along the way.

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Nurturing Growth: A vibrant illustration depicting a hand watering a brain surrounded by blooming flowers, symbolizing the cultivation of knowledge and mental well-being.

SPOTTING THE SPARK OF LEADERSHIP

Mentorship isn’t just about guiding others—it’s about cultivating a culture where knowledge-sharing and mutual support are encouraged and celebrated.

During a 1:1 conversation, a Sr. Designer on my team, Alexis, expressed a desire to take on more leadership responsibilities. She had a strong foundation in technical and presentation skills, and she was eager to mentor others and guide a team. At the same time, several mid- and junior-level designers on our team were seeking opportunities to grow in exactly those areas.

Rather than wait for a formal leadership role to open up, we decided to create our own.

DESIGNING THE PROGRAM TOGETHER

We co-developed a lightweight but impactful mentorship and development program. Each participating designer selected a UX topic or tool—ranging from accessibility and animation to cognitive bias and user journeys—then researched and presented their findings to the broader team.

Alexis, the Sr Designer took on the role of mentor, supporting each teammate throughout their journey. She offered feedback, helped refine presentations, and encouraged their growth. She and I also met regularly to reflect on her experience, troubleshoot challenges, and guide her own leadership development.

the program in action

User Journeys - Praveena, Entry-Level UX Designer

Praveena explained what a User Journey is, why we need it and helped define common variations, terminology and application. She kept her presentation focused on practical application and why it should matter to our UX Team and brand stakeholders.

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Sample Persona Shopping Journey: Navigating TNF’s Website for the Perfect Duffel Bag.

Accessibility - Corey, Mid-Level UX Designer

Corey completed an online course offered through edX titled W3Cx: Introduction to Web Accessibility Once complete, he worked with Alexis and outlined the core principles and simple do's and don'ts for the design team.

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The Accessibility Design Pyramid represents the integration of usability, accessibility, and inclusivity to create designs that fulfill user needs without requiring additional accommodations.

Cognitive Bias - Valerii, Mid-Level UX Designer

Val not only explained the concept of cognitive bias, but also identified real-world examples across our brand websites and categorized them according to specific psychological biases.

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Understanding Bias: Essential for Designers to Enhance User Experience by Addressing Personal and User Biases.

Animation - Kait, Entry-Level UX Designer

It was clear to me, that Kait had fun learning and writing about animation, but also exploring how to animate using Figma. Her presentation emphasized how animation is an essential element, helping aid users through digital experiences by conveying the brands personality and creating delight with fun micro-animation and eye catching graphics.

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Exploring the importance of micro interactions, highlighting their role in improving navigation, ease of use, feedback, positivity, emotion, and directing attention.

THE RESULTS: GROWTH ALL AROUND

Instilling a growth mindset across the team proved to be transformational. Everyone involved came away with new skills, greater confidence, and a deeper sense of connection. Some key outcomes:

• Designers strengthened their technical and presentation skills, gaining confidence in their expertise.

• The Senior Designer grew as a mentor, discovering her own leadership voice through hands-on experience.

• The team culture deepened, marked by curiosity, collaboration, and a sense of shared purpose.

Perhaps most importantly, the experience reinforced a core belief: Leadership isn’t defined by titles—it’s defined by impact.

"I loved getting to run the UX Skills Presentations for the team. It was a great opportunity to build my own skills and the skills of the team. It also allowed me the opportunity to mentor fellow designers while fine tuning their presentation skills, giving me a great experience in building up team members confidence and performance. It’s something I’ve taken into my leadership style that I’m proud to carry forward." - Alexis Dunn, Senior UX Designer

WHAT WE LEARNED

• Mentorship is a two-way street. Both mentors and mentees gain valuable insights, skills, and personal growth.

• Safe spaces lead to bold growth. When people feel supported, they’re more willing to step outside their comfort zones.

• Leadership can be cultivated. With the right encouragement and opportunities, emerging leaders thrive.

FINAL THOUGHTS

This project reinforced something I deeply believe: When we invest in each other's growth, we all rise.

Whether you're a team lead, a senior designer, or someone simply passionate about helping others, there's always a way to create meaningful development opportunities. By prioritizing mentorship and continuous learning, we don’t just build individual skills—we build stronger, more resilient teams.

The journey of growth is ongoing, and I’m excited to see how our team continues to evolve and innovate.