INDUSTRIAL DESIGNERS: help yourself by giving back

Remember being 21, staring at job boards you didn't understand, portfolio requirements that made no sense, terminology everyone used but no one explained? You were lost in a field that felt like it had a secret handbook you never received.

You can't go back and help that version of yourself. But you can help someone living that exact moment right now.

I've been mentoring Lilly through SetFire Foundation's Sparks program this year. One hour a month, virtual, talking through portfolio decisions, career navigation, the unspoken rules of design work. What I didn't expect was how much it would sharpen my own thinking.

Externalizing my process to someone else forces clarity. Just like sketching or prototyping, teaching someone else how you work makes you understand your own decisions better. When I explain to Lilly how I work, I'm not just helping her. I'm refining my own framework in real time. That clarity shows up immediately when I'm pitching clients or negotiating with partners.

SetFire pairs you one-on-one with a single industrial design student for a full year. These aren't random requests. Ted Bozarth hand selects students who've shown initiative, filled out applications, and demonstrated commitment. You're working with someone who really wants to be there.

The cost is only one hour a month. The return is a sharper version of yourself and a designer who doesn't have to figure it all out alone.

If you want to mentor through SetFire, visit https://www.setfirefoundation.org/mentor.

If you're a student who needs guidance, go to https://www.setfirefoundation.org/student.

You needed someone once. Be that person now.