Introduction
Mentoring SG is a national initiative to build a mentoring culture in Singapore and make guidance more accessible for youths.
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In this project, I redesigned the mentoring experience to increase engagement and encourage youths to take the first step in connecting with mentors.
My Role
I led the design for this case study project, working closely with my mentor Raina, Product Manager at Mentoring SG, to refine the solution through multiple feedback cycles.
THE PROBLEM
Users frequently browse the interface but do not take action. As a result, many do not fully benefit from the mentoring features designed to support their career growth.
CONTEXTUAL INQUIRY
Contextual inquiry was conducted with five youth users from the target audience, observing how they naturally navigated the application. By paying attention to their interaction flows, body language, and task efficiency, observation shows that...
​Positive First Impression
Users rated the interface positively, noting that it felt modern and approachable
Low Return Intent
Users weren’t confident about returning, signalling unclear value delivery
Low Conversion Rate
Users show a low click-through rate, pointing to a gap between discovery and action.
AN OPPORTUNITY
HMW reduce friction and improve clarity in an engaging way that empowers users to make confident decisions?
THE USERS
I identified two primary user segments we can better support by clearly engaging the value of mentorship motivating them to take the first step
The Uncertain User
Curious about industry insights but unsure where to begin. They lack confidence and may need reassurance before reaching out to a mentor.
The Go-Getter User
Actively seeks opportunities to grow their knowledge and network. Open to learning from mentors and gaining an early foothold in the industry.
NEXT THINKING
Where do users form their first impression of mentorship?
The most important touchpoint is the Mentor Page, the space that should motivate youths to begin their mentoring journey.
​Positive First Impression
Users rated the interface positively, noting that it felt modern and approachable.
BEFORE REDESIGN
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Multi-Step Navigation
Low Perceived Credibility
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Lack of information
What’s preventing users from taking action in the current experience?
1
Lack of Information
Users don’t have enough details about each mentor to determine fit, which lowers confidence
2
Multi-Step Navigation
3 out of 5 testers felt confused or hesitant.
Moving from industry selection to booking a session required too many steps
3
Low Perceived Credibility
60% of users felt the interface lacked trust and reassurance.
The pop-up layout weakened the first impression and reduced excitement
So, how can we make this space more useful and valuable?
​Positive First Impression
Users rated the interface positively, noting that it felt modern and approachable.
Introducing A Personalised and Streamlined Mentoring Space
This space sits directly on the Mentor Page, helping users feel more confident about starting their mentorship journey.
The experience builds upon existing features such as Communities and introduces a review system to enhance trust.
Insights are built around three principles:
Engaging
The challenge was to use existing features to guide users towards meaningful engagement
Personalised
Actionable
Mentor Page Structure
Relevence
Something personal about the mentor
Call to Action
A direct next step that guides users toward booking a session or exploring more details
Transparency
Provides clear information about the mentor’s background and expertise.
Assurance
Shows personalised and credibility-building elements, such as reviews or shared communities
HERE ARE THE FINAL REDESIGN
After
More streamlined structure that reduces cognitive load and supports decision-making.
Before
Multi-step flow that caused hesitation.
ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY
While volunteering at a Mentoring SG event, I gained a clearer understanding of the organisation’s wider goals.
KEY DISCOVERY
Mentoring SG aims to be a hub for all mentoring organisations and promote them to youths. However, some organisations perceive them as competitors rather than partners.​
How Might We Help Organisations See Mentoring SG as a Hub?
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Highlighting each organisation’s strengths and programmes can clarify Mentoring SG’s ecosystem role and build trust.
The Users (Organisational Perspective)
The Programme Manager
They seek reliable and aligned partners who can enhance their organisation’s mentoring initiatives.
This group needs transparency and clarity on collaboration opportunities.
Introducing Added Feature:
Industry Segment
A dedicated section that highlights mentorship programmes, their offerings, and their partner organisations.
This helps
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youths understand the range of mentorships available
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organisations feel represented rather than overshadowed
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Mentoring SG communicate its role as a central hub
Reflection
Through this case study and by attending events hosted by Mentoring SG, I was exposed to a wide range of perspectives. Conducting my own user testing and shadowing users helped me better understand the real pain points they experience. Given the opportunity, I would further enhance the UI and branding, and test the redesigned solution with Mentoring SG’s existing user database to evaluate its effectiveness at a larger scale.