Mentoring Structure
- Weekly 1:1 (30 min): Current work, blockers, growth
- Portfolio review (monthly): Review recent work deeply
- Skill development (quarterly): Identify growth areas, set goals
Giving Growth Feedback
- Be specific: 'The spacing between these sections creates unclear grouping' not 'The layout needs work'
- Explain why: Connect the feedback to a principle
- Show alternatives: Don't just criticize, demonstrate
- Acknowledge progress: Note improvements from previous feedback
- Separate craft from taste: Craft is learnable (spacing, hierarchy). Taste develops with exposure.
Growth Path
| Level | Focus | Key Skills |
|---|---|---|
| Junior | Execution | Craft, tools, following direction |
| Mid | Problem-solving | Research, strategy, self-direction |
| Senior | Leadership | Vision, mentoring, stakeholder influence |
| Lead | Multiplication | Team building, culture, business impact |
Common Junior Mistakes (address kindly)
- Skipping research and jumping to solutions
- Designing for themselves, not users
- Pixel perfection before direction is right
- Not presenting work well (just sharing screenshots)
- Taking feedback personally