Mentor at SFU Vancouver

Recently, I had the pleasure of being a mentor for a Eunoia UX Design Jam Design Hackathon X Simon Fraser University held in Canada. 🇨🇦

The event brought together a diverse group of students and design enthusiasts, each eager to collaborate, innovate, and showcase their creative prowess. As a mentor, I offered guidance and shared my industry experience to help participants tackle challenges and develop impactful design solutions.

This Design Hackathon was more than a competition – it was a platform for growth, networking, and learning. I feel incredibly grateful to have been a part of such a fantastic event and am in awe of the talent and dedication displayed by the next generation of designers.

During the Hackathon, I provided participants with resources that offered an overview of possible next steps. However, I emphasized the importance of not limiting themselves to my suggestions. I encouraged them to explore various approaches that suit their team dynamics and project context because learning isn't just about following advice blindly.

True learning requires critical thinking, clarification, and seeking the most suitable path for your unique situation. As a mentor, my goal is to guide, inspire, and empower individuals to discover their own strengths and the strategies that resonate with them.

At the end of the day, my aim as a mentor is to help participants become self-reliant and confident in their abilities, even when I'm not around.

One challenge my team faced during the Design Hackathon was the time zone difference between Toronto and Vancouver, as Toronto is 3 hours ahead. Despite this hurdle, everyone managed to coordinate and schedule recurring check-in calls.

I even suggested that someone on the team could take on the role of a project manager, setting up calls and noting availability or leaves, to ensure smooth communication.

This is an important lesson because, in the real world, challenges will always be present, and learning to adapt and find solutions is crucial for success.

Keep pushing boundaries and stay curious, because the journey of learning and growth is never-ending and I can't wait to see where your design journeys take you next! 🚀

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