our mission.

Design. Publishing. Inclusivity. is an impactful mentorship initiative for under-represented creatives and have assembled leading designers across the publishing industry as mentors.

​Our mission is supporting creatives from under-represented groups to develop the skills and acumen to pursue a career in the world of book design, while also offering existing designers in the industry advice on career progression.

mentoring
process.

Applications for the 2024 programme have now closed. Please do not be discouraged if you had not been chosen this year- we strongly encourage you re-apply for the 2025 programme or future dates!

If you’re selected for mentoring, we will match you with a mentor whose area of expertise and interests will best match with your professional goals.​ You will meet with mentors ideally on six occasions over a six-month period either in-person, on Zoom or a hybrid for one hour (on a mutually agreeable date).​

The six sessions should be spread so that they happen approximately every month across the six-month period - a shorter time period - e.g. four months can be discussed in advance with the DPI team and your mentor).​

eligibility
criteria.

  • You must be UK & Ireland based

  • You must be aged 18 years or above

  • From an underrepresented background (one or more of the following):

    • Black, Asian and minority ethnic

    • Disabled

    • Neurodivergent

    • LGBTQIA+

    • Working class

*No prior design experience or formal art education is required. We also encourage existing designers to apply.

  • Micaela Alcaino, 2023 Mentor and Freelance Designer & Illustrator

    " I have always been deeply passionate about mentorship, and it was a genuine honour to engage in mentoring alongside DPI. It is not only inherently rewarding but also holds considerable significance in our industry. Over the span of six months, I had the privilege of guiding and mentoring Ali, someone who not only is exceptionally talented but also exhibits a remarkable ability to absorb and apply the insights we explored together.  I take great pride in having played a role in his development, and I firmly believe that he is one to watch in our industry!"

  • Izzy Poulson, 2023 Alumni and Desgin Assistant

    "For the DPI mentorship, I was thrilled to be partnered with Holly Ovenden, whose work I have admired for a long time. Over the mentorship, I gained valuable insight from her about working in the publishing industry both as an in-house and freelance designer, I learnt about Holly’s own design journey, how she deals with difficult briefs and how to take my own designs to the next level. Towards the end of the scheme, I was able to put into practice some of what I had learnt by being set a design task to work on. This exercise really helped me to broaden my style and pushed me out of my comfort zone. Overall, the mentorship scheme has given me a lot more confidence in my own ideas and design skills which will be a good foundation for my further career."

  • Simon Michele, 2023 Mentee

    "I was particularly impressed by how much the mentorship was tailored for me. We began by examining what I hoped to gain from our time together, which allowed my mentor to purposefully structure our sessions. We worked together to pinpoint areas where I hope to grow and discussed the best ways to achieve my goals. It also allowed a safe space to talk about dyslexia, classism and queerness, along with the future of diversity within publishing, from someone who has longer experience in the field."

Contact us.