“Embrace the challenge of thinking beyond the immediate problem, and consider the long-term implications of your solutions.”

Hi, I’m Laura Gilsenan. I’ve been in the fashion industry for the past nine years and I’m looking to transition to UX design. I enrolled in the UX Tree mentorship program to get advice on how to use my existing skills to pursue a career in UX/product design.

What inspired you to join UX Tree Mentorship Programme?

I joined UX Tree Mentorship Programme because I wanted to take on a new case study for my portfolio, to further my knowledge and understanding of professional UX practice. I wanted to gain insight from the mentors and to have the opportunity to network with people who are currently working in the industry.

I hoped to gain an appreciation of the challenges and experiences faced by others, and to reflect on them in terms of my own professional growth. I was also eager to learn about the latest UX trends and how to apply them to my projects.

In which areas do you feel like you have progressed in thanks to your mentor?

My mentor Pranjal encouraged me to think outside of the box when we were discussing my initial thoughts about the problem and the initial steps of the solution. He gave me the advice to think bigger than just the immediate problem and to look at the larger implications of the solution. He wanted me to consider the long-term consequences of the solution, not just the short-term gains.

What was your favourite moment in your 1:1 mentoring sessions?

We mostly connected online, but we also had two great in-person sessions. Pranjal showed me some of the amazing things you can do with Figma, which I had felt overwhelmed by before. His helpful tips and guidance made it much more manageable. I’m incredibly grateful for his support and understanding – he was always there when I needed him.

What was your favourite moment in our group mentoring sessions?

I enjoyed seeing other mentees’ work at the different stages and how they were approaching their projects. I also thought it was really helpful to get the feedback from multiple mentors and hear their recommendations.

Do you have anything that you would recommend to other mentors and mentees?

I had a weekly 40 minute Zoom call with my mentor as well as two IRL meetups, and I found these check-ins to be incredibly useful. Even if it wasn’t related to a presentation, it was really helpful to chat about what stage I was at, what I had accomplished and what challenges I was facing, and to get suggestions from my mentor on how to move forward.

I believe that having these consistent mentor/mentee chats is really important, and I would recommend working consistently on the project as much as possible, despite all the other demands life may present. It’s important to keep pushing forward and to make sure you’re making progress towards your goals.