Samantha Talbott on Mentorship & Helping Designers Succeed
If you’ve ever wondered about how mentorship can be woven into onboarding, how to leverage performance reviews, or how to overcome creative blocks - you’re in luck. Keep reading to learn about how ZCA Design Professional, Samantha Talbott, mentors new designers at ZCA, how you can keep your employees happy, the benefits of eavesdropping, and more!
Sam, can you tell us about your role as a mentor in the ZCA Workplace Interiors Studio?
When new designers come in, I help with onboarding - teaching them about the technology and programs we use in our studio and walking them through the basics. We have a strategic design process here at ZCA, so I explain what we typically look for and how in depth it can get. I do a lot of this with the help of case studies because it allows me to walk them through the whole workflow and show them how unique each client can be.
Our training is involved and interactive, much like how our design process is. For a mentee’s first project, I have them shadow me so they can learn more about best practices. We collaborate throughout their second project and switch things up on their third project, so that I shadow and they lead. After they feel confident in their ability to take on projects solo, I lend them support as needed for brainstorming and anything else they might need.
How do you provide mentorship after a new designer is onboarded?
We do have annual reviews, but our leadership is open to more frequent check-in’s if we feel stuck or overloaded. Our team is really close knit and leadership has a hands-on approach during projects, so we are able to take proactive measures before anyone gets too overwhelmed. In general, I like to make myself available as a resource if my teammates experience any problems or creative blocks at any point. For example, we might bounce ideas off of each other to brainstorm concepts during the initial phases of a project or talk out how a detail needs to work in order to get the design intent across.
What’s your advice for overcoming creative blocks?
I have a few different methodologies for this. One is to get back to pen and paper - try sketching it out and see if a change in medium sparks a new idea. Another is to keep your ears open to the commentary and conversations that are happening around you. Hearing the people around you talk about lessons learned or their design challenges might just provide the perfect inspiration.
Completely separating myself from the problem at hand and working on something else for a little while also helps. Sometimes I will leave my work to help a coworker for a little while or ask what others are working to restoke my creative fire. Finding a solution for another project might just lead to ideas that can be applied to the work I am stuck on.
More About Sam
Sam started interning with ZCA before graduating from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design. She has since cultivated a thriving career as a ZCA Design Professional, contributing her talents to countless projects. You can expect versatility, strong attention to detail, high quality output, and a natural eye for design from Sam. When she’s not hard at work, she enjoys spending time with family and practicing other creating disciplines like quilting, woodworking, and metal-working.
Check out some of Sam’s work by visiting our website!