Design Leadership
Helping designers think beyond the interface.
I had the opportunity to mentor aspiring product designers through Product Design Launchpad, helping them improve product thinking, case studies, portfolios, and design decisions through practical, experience-driven feedback.
Mentorship Snapshot
Role
Design Mentor
Program
Product Design Launchpad
Mentored
Aspiring product designers
Audience
FreshersCareer SwitchersEarly Product Designers
Focus
PortfolioProduct ThinkingUX CritiqueCase StudiesInterview Preparation
The Program
Official Design Mentor, Product Design Launchpad
Product Design Launchpad is a cohort-based program by Rohan Mishra for designers building their product design careers. I joined as a Design Mentor, working with mentees one-to-one through the cohort.
- One-to-one guidance sessions with mentees through the cohort.
- Portfolio reviews focused on storytelling and decision quality.
- Case study reviews that pushed for clearer problem framing.
- Product thinking and career direction conversations grounded in real enterprise work.
How I Mentor
Not tools. Not templates. Thinking.
i
Thinking over polish
I don't redesign portfolios. I ask the questions that reveal what the work is actually saying, then let the designer fix it themselves.
ii
No tool talk
Sessions are not about Figma. We work on framing problems, weighing options, and choosing a direction on purpose.
iii
Assumptions get challenged
Most weak case studies stand on one unexamined assumption. Finding it is often the most useful thing we do together.
iv
Product decisions first
We spend time on the decisions behind a screen: what was traded away, what was protected, and why.
v
Reasoning said out loud
Strong work starts the conversation. Clear reasoning is what convinces a room. We practice both.
vi
Priorities before everything
Early designers try to fix everything at once. I help them find the one change that matters most right now.
Focus Areas
What I helped mentees with
Portfolio Reviews
Structure, narrative, and knowing what to cut.
Case Studies
Problem framing, decisions, and honest outcomes.
UX Critique
Giving and receiving critique without ego.
Product Thinking
Users, business constraints, and tradeoffs.
Career Guidance
Direction, positioning, and realistic next steps.
Interview Preparation
Presenting work and handling hard questions.
Enterprise UX
Designing for admins, permissions, and policies.
Information Architecture
Making dense products navigable.
Workflow Design
Multi-step flows, edge cases, and failure states.
Decision Making
Choosing a direction and being able to defend it.
Real Feedback
In their own words
Only real messages from mentees appear here, quoted exactly as they were written.
feedback / anusha-vermaReal · unedited
feedback / isha-paunikarReal · unedited
feedback / rohan-patilReal · unedited
1:1 Product Design Mentorship
Working sessions, not motivational calls.
Beyond the cohort, I take a limited number of one-to-one sessions. Each one is a focused working session on your actual work: your portfolio, a case study, or the decision you are stuck on.
We open the work, I tell you what I honestly see, and we improve it in the session. Practical and direct, with clear next steps you can act on the same day.
Scope
What I can help with
Portfolio ReviewCase Study ReviewInterview PreparationCareer DirectionProduct ThinkingUX StrategyEnterprise UXInformation ArchitectureWorkflow ReviewsDesign FeedbackStakeholder Communication
Expectations
What this isn't
What I won't do
- I won't redesign your portfolio for you.
- I won't complete assignments or take-home tasks.
- I won't promise interviews or offers.
- I won't hand out generic, template feedback.
What I'll do instead
- I'll challenge how you think about the problem.
- I'll explain the tradeoffs behind every suggestion.
- I'll help you make stronger decisions you can defend.
Booking
Mentoring sessions opening soon.
Session format, duration, and booking details are being finalized. If you would like a session in the meantime, write to me and I will share the details directly.
subhambhainsora143@gmail.com