Did you know that nearly 50% of design graduates in India feel underprepared for real-world projects?

That’s not just a scary number, it’s a mirror reflecting the gaps in our design ecosystem.

India may have plenty of design schools and bootcamps, but many young designers still enter the industry without the confidence, guidance, or context they need. Design education here often focuses more on tools than on thinking, leaving gaps in areas like stakeholder management, business context, and scaling ideas. Many designers end up relying on trial and error, which, while useful, can be painfully slow and frustrating. As a result, many rely on slow trial and error. This is where i feel mentorship becomes essential, bridging the gap between knowing design and living it, by offering the right nudges, resources, and community tailored to each stage of a designer’s journey.

What should you take care of while mentoring designers at different stages?

1. The Fresh Graduate (Bright-eyed, Tool-ready, but Lost in Translation)

• Fresh graduates are usually tool-savvy but struggle with bigger questions like solving real problems or collaborating with developers.

• Help them build problem-solving skills by guiding them through the full process. From brief to research, design, and validation.

• Share practical resources such as case studies, critique sessions, and books like Don’t Make Me Think and The Design of Everyday Things, and ensure they actually engage with them.

• Connect them with active communities (Slack, Discord, WhatsApp) so they can learn and grow through peer interactions as well as mentorship.

2. The Mid-level Designer (Confident Maker, Struggling Navigator)

• Mid-level designers can execute well but often lack context, asking questions like “Why isn’t my design shipped as is?” or “How do I influence decisions?”

• Guide them to connect their craft with business goals and user journeys while balancing creativity with real-world constraints.

• Recommend resources such as podcasts and essays on product thinking, and encourage them to shadow PMs or join customer calls.

• Involve them in design critiques giving feedback is just as important as receiving it. With this the freshers in your community will be benefited too.

3. The Senior Designer (Leader-in-Making, But Needs Refinement)

• Senior designers are strong in craft but face new challenges like mentoring juniors, building systems, and making design visible at an organizational level.

• Help them scale their impact through design systems, clear documentation, and influencing leadership.

• Share resources like Radical Candor or Creative Confidence to strengthen their leadership skills.

• Encourage them to give back by hosting AMAs, writing blogs, or mentoring juniors—since teaching is one of the best ways to grow further.

Origin of Desphere Club and DesignX Academy

Desphere Club

I started Desphere, a design club in Mumbai, with the aim of fostering a supportive design community. Our goal is to bring together like-minded individuals at different stages of their design careers.
As a mentor, I realised the need for a platform to share knowledge with multiple individuals efficiently. Hence, I created the Desphere community, where members can access and refer to specific topics at their convenience. This fosters a diverse exchange of knowledge and expertise among our community members.

DesignX Academy

Driven by a passion to give back to the design community and support emerging talent, I recently joined DesignX Academy, an initiative focused on making design education more accessible and practical. In my role as a Design Learning Experience Officer, I work closely with aspiring designers both one-on-one and in group sessions, guiding them through real-world design challenges and principles. Alongside mentoring, I’m also building structured, hands-on courses that simplify core design concepts, helping learners not just understand the basics but apply them meaningfully in their work. This platform allows me to blend teaching with practice, creating a space where future designers can grow with confidence and clarity.

The Online Dimension (Mentoring at Scale)

Let’s face it: you can’t mentor every designer one-on-one. But thanks to the internet, you can scale impact.

• Host webinars or live portfolio reviews.

• Join Online Mentoring portals like ADPlist, Topmate.io and offer 15-30 mins of online 1-1 session to designers.

• Write publicly (LinkedIn, Medium, newsletters). Every post is mentorship in disguise.

• Record video critiques, one critique can help hundreds of designers facing the same problem.

Mentorship isn’t about handing out shortcuts; it’s about equipping designers with maps, compasses, and the courage to explore. The design ecosystem in India (and beyond) needs more mentors who can meet designers where they are not just in terms of skills, but also mindset and community.

Because here’s the deal: a designer without mentorship can survive. But with mentorship? They thrive—and so does the entire design industry.