Connecting worlds together
Lynda Relph-Knight was editor of Design Week Magazine for 22 years. Today, this design writer and consultant is known for her activity in bringing creative people together. Lynda is a woman of many talents and shares her story of what it is like to be a mentor.
“It’s a bit of mixture!” says Lynda, describing her work. “It’s bringing together the writing, the knowledge of design, architecture, and the connections I’ve got all together in one place… When Design Week magazine went from print to online nearly 10 years ago, I lost my position and had to rethink myself. Now I am a design writer, working with design groups and individuals to help them bring people and content together for conferences.
“I also currently run student awards with six universities and advise on setting up awards. I am also an independent consultant who has helped business owners and architects run their business by being a sounding board. Besides all that, I run quarterly dinners for around sixty people at a time from across all disciplines.”
Lynda has an impressive academic background. She jokes that she has one degree that she worked for, and three that were given to her. “I went to London University and got a degree in History. Since university, I’ve also been given three Honorary degrees: an Art & Design fellowship from the Royal College of Art; MA in Design from the University of the Creative Arts, and an Honorary Fellowship from Ravensbourne University.”
“You give your experience, intelligence, time, and connections, but you get so much back”
Yet Lynda’s packed career started by accident… “I fell into journalism by chance; my journey into the creative industry was purely accidental. That said, I was a journalist working in architecture at first. The designers and architects helped me understand the design world. I have been inspired by hundreds of people, one of the English architect David Rock who told me how to read architecture drawings, which is the key to starting a conversation with architects.”
Lynda’s career journey continues with LCC’s Industry Mentoring Programme. “I was approached to participate in the programme seven years ago. I worked with nine postgraduate students. Usually, you meet them once a month for six months. It is an absolute pleasure and exciting to meet mentees, exciting for both sides. I learn as much as they do.
“My job is to bring the creative industries and academia together. I work with both undergraduates and postgraduates, to help them to make connections and decisions, and take the next step.”
Lynda says that being a mentor is like being a journalist: “You find out information and act on it as best as you can in a realistic way. You don’t do it for the mentees; you just point them in a direction, and it’s up to them if they take it. You put mentees in a room full of people, and it is up to them if they talk; I’m not going around selling them.
“Mentors should be prepared to listen and guide them, and mentees should be honest and clear about what they want to achieve. It is creating opportunities for them to move forward.”
“It’s creating opportunities for them to move forward”
Mentoring is always a two-way process, says Lynda. “You give your experience, intelligence, time, and connections, but you get so much back – you learn about other cultures, generations, and the reality of working in the world in which you are already senior.
“If you are running a business, you should join the programme because you can pick the best people. It doesn’t cost anything, just a little bit of your time. It helps you to reframe what you know. You learn about yourself, and it enriches your life meeting the people you might not usually meet.”
Being part of her mentees’ success is rewarding. “You feel real joy and satisfaction when mentees achieve whatever they want to achieve,” Lynda enthuses.
“They all keep in touch and occasionally drop me a line, which is nice and is not part of the deal, but they do it because they are happy to. I’m very touched when I get emails from them telling me what they are doing and having that bond, hearing that they achieved something and keeping up the connections… It is all about people, and people are the connections!”