Emerging designers design mock projects with help of RGD Mentors — Part 2

“Guiding talented designers through the RGD Project-Based Mentorship Program for the hypothetical redesign of IKEA Canada's website has been an enriching experience. Given the opportunity to lead a team to solve real-world design challenges under realistic constraints showcased the intersection of UX and visual design. Emphasizing restraint in the design process ensured solutions were feasible and enhanced user experience without alienating IKEA’s customer base. It's been a pleasure mentoring a committed team that successfully delivered a high-quality solution within a tight timeframe.”

“The RGD Mentorship Program allowed me to lead IKEA's website redesign as Art Director and Project Manager. I faced challenges in team coordination, creative alignment and tight deadlines, which honed my leadership and creative skills. This project underscored the power of teamwork and prepared me for future industry challenges. I’m grateful for the support from Creative Director Jennifer and the dedication of my teammates Cherry, Juyeop and Andras.”

“I joined the RGD Mentorship Program because I wanted to connect with fellow Canadian designers. While I’m a recent graduate, I have more than 25 years of experience in Europe. Trying to fit into a team of young and talented people was a challenge at first, but I hope I could enrich the project with valuable insights during the process.”

“The RGD Mentorship Program offered an unforgettable experience. Working in a team environment taught me how to collaborate with others and improved my understanding of what a good design should look like. Seeing the design evolve through feedback was enlightening. Collaborating with our mentor, the art director and other designers was incredibly valuable. I highly recommend this program to others.”

“The RGD Project-Based Mentorship Program has been an invaluable experience, bridging my academic knowledge with real-world application. I have refined my skills, honed my problem-solving abilities and gained valuable insights into collaborative design thinking by working alongside seasoned professionals. This program has helped prepare me for my transition into product design, and I'm grateful for the mentorship and support.”

“I enjoyed this experience and had a great time working with my team, gaining practical experience and design insights. This was my first time creating a transit app, which allowed me to rethink my route planning process and notice many small details that current transit apps use to make this process easier. I also identified several design decision-related problems that I encountered in previous UX projects, and I was able to get valuable inspiration and help from my mentors. Brainstorming ideas and collaborating with my fellow designer was also incredibly rewarding. We shared our diverse perspectives with each other and took and provided valuable feedback for refining our designs. I really wish I could work with everyone on my team again.”

“It has been a great pleasure working with Josh, MacKenzie, Ria and Siyu! Josh's guidance definitely made the UX research process less daunting. I had a lot of fun and learned a great deal about the UI/UX pipeline, design systems and decision-making through the weekly critiques and design jam sessions.”

“It was an absolute privilege to mentor such a bright and talented team—Olivia, Eloise, Khaosara and Camille. Their proactive approach to feedback propelled the development of the Safe-Transit App, a versatile platform designed to boost transit safety. This white-label application not only enables incident reporting with optional anonymity but also fosters community connectivity by providing real-time updates on reports and Transit Watch activities. Their dedication and innovative spirit were instrumental in evolving the initial SafeTTC app concept into a robust urban transit system.”

“Magued was a great mentor who cultivated an environment for us to grow as designers. Our ideas were challenged in order to deliver better user experiences in a seamless manner that improve their interaction on the mobile app. His knowledge of UX was useful to expand our group's initial idea of a safety transit app to a white label app. We appreciated his supportive mentorship, which encouraged us to cultivate new ideas and enrich our knowledge base.”

“This program provided me with the opportunity to delve into a design field that I was eager to explore. I developed my skills in user experience design, including user research, interviews, testing and more. Additionally, I applied my visual skills to lead the user interface design phase of the process. Being part of Magued's team has significantly contributed to my growth as a graphic designer.”

“Working with Magued and the team has been a delight. Throughout this program, I've had the opportunity to build confidence in my work and skills, as well as develop some serious leadership chops. This has proven invaluable in my development as a designer. My only regret is I wished I had done it sooner!”

“I loved getting to connect with professionals outside my workspace who all wished to develop their careers and skill sets together. The skills, insights and professional development I’ve gained from this program have been invaluable; the real-world tutelage of an experienced and expert professional like Magued was truly a privilege.”

“Through brainstorming and feedback sessions, we created a collaborative environment to push creativity and learn from one another. Each designer brought unique strengths and capabilities to the project. As a mentor, this experience was not only about guiding the project to success, but also about nurturing the professional growth and creative confidence of each team member.”

“Participating in the RGD Project-Based Mentorship Program as an art director was invaluable. This project offered a safe space to enhance my technical and soft skills. Our efforts produced a well-integrated and engaging brand identity, showcasing our creative energy. We went beyond the assignment requirements, as much as time allowed us, to further develop our skills and leveraged Meg's excellent guidance. Our work is the result of professional collaboration, adaptability and continuous learning, showcasing our commitment to delivering effective design solutions.”

“In the RGD Mentorship Program, my role as Art Director involved collaborating closely. Together, we navigated the creative process while ensuring our vision was aligned. Throughout the project, I enhanced my leadership and mentoring skills by balancing creative direction with practical design considerations, learning to integrate feedback thoughtfully and adaptively. The result is a cohesive and vibrant brand identity that truly reflects our team's expertise and innovative spirit.”

“This program allowed me to improve my character development skills and use my artistic abilities to add a whimsical, illustrative element to the project. It helped me grasp a better understanding of the style I’d like to adopt as a designer and illustrator. Personally, the best part of this project was working with other Members who I had never met, but who all dedicated themselves to the project. Many long nights were spent by each member of the team, and it all came together better than any of us could have hoped.”

“In the RGD Mentorship program, I enhanced my technical skills and received guidance on creating thoughtful design solutions. I assisted in the ideation phase, along with providing typography and creating a website that represents the brand. As a team, we were able to create a cohesive style guide that is dynamic and professional. Participating in this program was an invaluable experience; working with the team of was an enjoyable and engaging experience that helped me grow my skills and knowledge.”

“The project I proposed to the RGD had several key components—it had to be a real-world initiative from conception to public deployment, not just a mock-up; the team needed to select a relevant topic, identify the audience and develop engagement strategies; it had to be developed collaboratively, minimizing hierarchy; Finally, the project was to incorporate a novel use of the poster format as a design object in the public commons, aiming to animate and engage the target audience. I believe real-world projects often present unforeseen challenges and obstacles that mock-up exercises tend to sanitize. Public-facing projects, especially those aimed at industry audiences, are high-stakes. Working effectively in such settings demands discussion, consensus, compromise and cooperation—key skills for any designer. In my experience, building strong relationships with team members, client and vendors is crucial for the success of design projects, regardless of their scale. When relationships are not well-maintained, the quality of the design often suffers. I hope this project has shown participants that their design skills can be a powerful way to communicate in the public sphere. Engaging with both their community and industry, both online and offline, can be a meaningful and impactful way to use their craft.”

“The RGD Mentorship Program provided a unique opportunity to collaborate with emerging designers on a real-world project. I learned about the challenges of creating a campaign from scratch, the intricacies of managing a team and the importance of adapting to real-world expectations. Working as an art director, I appreciated and was intrigued by my team's diverse perspectives and creativity. Together, we navigated the complexities of real-world projects, discovering that many unexpected issues can arise. With team members spread across three cities, we struggled with time zone differences and coordinating schedules. We used a Trello board for organization, FigJam for design and communicated via WhatsApp and email to manage these issues. This experience proved invaluable experiences, enhancing our skills and challenging industry stereotypes.”

“The RGD Mentorship Program offered a unique platform that allowed our team to experience the workflow of a real-world design project while also allowing room for trial and error. Throughout the project, our team faced numerous challenges: from ideation—such as consolidating our concepts to align with Gen Z work ethic and addressing generational bias—to execution—like implementing the poster across various cities and maintaining visual consistency in different adaptations. Not every design project turns out exactly as designers envision, and this one was no different for our team, but the valuable experience we gained will help us progress and aim for better outcomes as our design careers move forward.”

“The RGD Mentorship Program was a valuable opportunity to work with an experienced RGD and develop problem-solving skills. A major challenge we faced was LinkedIn removing our project account due to a non-personal profile picture. This disruption affected our posting schedule and materials. We adapted by setting up a LinkedIn Company account and creating a new QR code linked to a Linktree page, providing a more flexible central hub. This experience was a significant learning opportunity, and I’m grateful to have worked with such a supportive team. I hope future Student RGDs have similar chances to learn and contribute.”

“As mentor, I guided my team in shaping the scope and creative direction to ensure the website effectively represented Horizon Point Camp's mission. The project focused on accessibility, and over eight weeks, I supported the team with industry insights and feedback to create an accessible, user-friendly website and a dynamic social media campaign. The designers went the extra mile by interviewing a camp director from a summer camp for children with neurodivergence, which was invaluable in refining their design solutions. Collaborating with Mercury, Faith and Trudy has been highly rewarding due to their professionalism and dedication, contributing significantly to the success of this portfolio project.”

“This program was a greatly valuable experience for me, as a newly graduated designer. Acting as art director and project manager, I was able to share my knowledge, deepen my understanding and gain experience working in a team. While most of my prior design work was done individually for clients or professors, this program allowed me to see the process from a collaborative perspective, engaging with the team and appreciating the unique contributions of each member. It was a rewarding and insightful experience.”

“I’m grateful for the RGD Mentorship Program, which allowed me to collaborate with designers and receive guidance from a seasoned professional. With my development background and growing interest in design, I valued working through the design process with my team, refining concepts and creating illustrations. Everyone has different strengths, and I was grateful to have articulate teammates to help with situations like a user interview session. This experience reinforced my appreciation for teamwork, enriched my understanding of web design and allowed me to build a portfolio piece.”

“As a first-year design student, working with experienced designers through this program was invaluable. The program provided insights into working in a design team and offered me a deeper understanding of the design process, including research, user testing and pitching our design to an industry professional. Through our extensive research, I learned to consider accessibility concerns in my design process, a lesson I will carry forward in my career. This experience not only boosted my confidence and connections but also enriched my portfolio significantly.”