306 designers.
23 countries.
All free.
For two years, I opened my calendar to designers at every stage of their careers on ADPList. Career changers, students, senior ICs, design managers. No charge. Just the kind of direct, honest guidance I wish I'd had earlier in my own career.
"Life has taught me the quickest way from point A to point B in my career or in business is to work with a coach. I want other designers to experience success faster than I did, so I became a UX coach."
Shanelle Roberts
The design community
gave first.
I didn't get to where I am alone. I had mentors who answered hard questions directly, who told me when my portfolio wasn't ready, who helped me understand what design leadership actually looks like from the inside. That's not something you pay back. It's something you pass forward.
ADPList gave me the infrastructure to do it at scale. Over two years, I worked with designers across every career stage: students transitioning from other fields, mid-career professionals who needed their story reframed, senior designers preparing for leadership roles they hadn't held yet.
The problems were almost always the same: a gap between the work being done and the ability to communicate its value. Portfolio structure. Interview storytelling. Understanding what hiring managers actually look for. That's fixable. And it's worth the time.
Every session started with what the work actually needs, not what feels good to hear. Honest feedback delivered with care is the only kind that moves people forward.
Great design mentorship shouldn't be gated by geography, income, or network proximity. Opening my calendar to anyone, anywhere was a deliberate choice.
This wasn't marketing. It was a two-year commitment to designers who were doing the hard work of building careers in a field that doesn't always make the path obvious.
Real words from
real sessions.
Every review below is verified on ADPList. Names, titles, and employers are as submitted by the mentee.
"Shanelle has such a great strategy and really sets the bar high for good storytelling. She totally gets what hiring managers are looking for and helped me step back to think about my strengths. I also really enjoyed our conversation — it felt so natural and mutual. Her advice made my presentation so much better."
"Her expertise and insights into resume and portfolio building were invaluable. Shanelle provided constructive feedback that addressed my concerns, giving me confidence. I highly appreciate her guidance and would recommend her to anyone seeking career advice."
"Shanelle gave me great tips for improving my portfolio and case studies. She is highly knowledgeable and solutions oriented! After our meeting I have a clear understanding of what I need to do. Thank you Shanelle!"
"I very much appreciated Shanelle's willingness to take the additional time to really break things down and walk through her process — super helpful. Also great perspective on contracting, freelancing, and current company culture in tech UX design."
"Shanelle is a very knowledgeable leader who gives concrete actionable feedback. She provided insight on next steps to continue my UX journey after taking her course at General Assembly and guided me through what to expect moving forward."
"I've had a couple sessions with Shanelle and I've really appreciated her mentorship. She was very thoughtful, had great examples, and helped me brainstorm actionable ways to improve my storytelling and impact as a designer."
More from the community
"Shanelle's expertise and in-depth knowledge in the field are truly impressive. She was able to provide valuable feedback on my work in a clear and digestible way."
"She gave me honest feedback about my portfolio and provided helpful advice when it came to making it better, as well as more insight into the industry itself. I would recommend meeting with her!!"
"My session with Shanelle was insightful. She reviewed my portfolio and gave me an idea of what design managers are looking for and how to stand out while applying. She also shared resources and tips on how to grow as a UX designer."
"Shanelle asked some good questions and provided helpful advice that will get me one step closer to being 'application ready.' I had a great session updating and refining my resume and leadership portfolio."
"Meeting with Shanelle has been a great decision since she provides honest and useful information and feedback. I highly recommend booking a session with her!"
"My session with Shanelle was very helpful. I gained from her perspective on interviews and portfolio focus points — and I very much appreciated the additional time she took to really break things down."
The work has
shifted.
My current focus is on healthcare, specifically helping plastic surgery practices close the gap between the patients they attract and the ones who book. The same principle applies: find what's broken, be honest about it, and fix it.