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For Students & Emerging Creatives
— Nicosia, Cyprus

Design Mentoring
& Portfolio Guidance

Honest, one-to-one guidance to strengthen your work, sharpen your judgement and find your direction as the creative industry changes.
Start your enquiry

When creating becomes faster and easier for everyone, what makes your work worth noticing?

Templates, apps, libraries and AI can now help almost anyone produce polished creative work quickly. That makes technical skill and attractive output less distinctive on their own.

The creatives who stand out will be those who bring clearer thinking, stronger judgement and genuine human expression to the work. They know what to create, what to reject and how to direct the tools towards work with purpose, personality and the ability to connect with people.

Your portfolio should make that difference visible. It should show not only what you can produce, but how you think, how you make decisions and the creative value you bring beyond execution.

"Fast output is easy now.
Creative judgement is what makes
your work worth noticing."

Strengthening your creative judgement

Creative judgement develops through practice, honest feedback and learning to understand what the work actually needs.

I’m Loris Stavrinides, and I offer personal guidance to help you assess your work more clearly and decide where to focus next. The focus is not only on making the work look better, but on strengthening the thinking behind it and making that value more visible through your portfolio.

My creative foundation began in fine art and graphic design. Over more than 20 years, my work expanded across branding, web, interactive design, product interfaces and game UI, spanning marketing and advertising, gaming, fintech and entertainment. From the early web to today’s AI-assisted workflows, the tools have changed repeatedly. The need for clear, purposeful and well-crafted decisions has not.

The aim is not to give you a formula or turn your work into mine. It is to help you recognise your strengths, question weaker choices and build a portfolio that makes your thinking, craft and potential easier to see.
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What we can work on together

The guidance is shaped around your current level, interests and goals. You do not need a finished portfolio or a clear career plan before starting.

Understanding your work

We can review current projects, sketches, experiments or early ideas to identify what is working, where the work loses strength and what is worth developing further.

Strengthening your decisions

We can look beyond surface polish into the thinking, structure, visual choices and intention behind the work, helping you make clearer and more confident creative decisions.

Building a stronger portfolio

We can shape what you show, what you leave out and how the work is presented, so your portfolio communicates your thinking, craft and potential more clearly.

Where useful, the guidance can also support creative studies, early career direction, UI and digital design, Figma, Adobe tools, design-system basics and AI-assisted workflows.

How it works

01. Enquiry

The first step is a short enquiry about your current level, interests, work and what you would like help understanding or improving.

I review each enquiry personally to make sure the guidance is relevant and that I can offer useful support. If it feels like a good fit, I will reply with the recommended next step and details for arranging a paid initial review session.

02. Initial review session

The first session gives us the space to look at your work, discuss your direction and identify clear priorities. 

03. Continued guidance where useful

If ongoing support would be useful, we can then consider a more structured mentorship or focused follow-up sessions.

Sessions are available online or in person in Nicosia, Cyprus, and can be held in English or Greek.

Start your enquiry

You do not need a finished portfolio or a clear plan before getting in touch. Tell me about your current level, creative interests, any work you have and what you are hoping to understand, improve or decide.

    Parent or guardian confirmation

    They will be included in any reply concerning this enquiry.

    Which creative areas are most relevant to your enquiry?

    Select all that apply to the work, portfolio or direction you would like to discuss.

    Website, Behance, Google Drive, PDF or social profile. Include the full https:// link.

    Tell me briefly about your current work or situation, what feels unclear and what you hope to gain from the guidance.

    If a session is arranged, which format would you prefer?

    Paid initial review sessions are arranged after the enquiry has been reviewed and the fit confirmed.

    Your details will only be used to review and respond to this enquiry. For anyone under 18, a parent or guardian must be involved. Read the Privacy Policy.

    Frequently asked questions
    Who is this guidance for?
    The main focus is students, graduates, self-taught creatives and junior designers who want stronger work, clearer direction and honest feedback on their portfolio or creative development.

    You may be preparing for creative studies, building your first portfolio, entering the industry or trying to understand which areas of your work deserve more attention.
    Do I need a finished portfolio before enquiring?
    No. You can enquire with early projects, school work, sketches, experiments, visual studies or ideas that are still being developed.

    A finished portfolio is not required. Part of the guidance may be understanding what you should create, develop, remove or present more clearly.
    What kinds of creative work can be reviewed?
    The guidance can support a broad range of visual and digital creative work, including graphic design, visual communication, branding, UI/UX, web and digital design, product interfaces, game UI, interactive media, digital art, illustration, motion and animation.

    You do not need to fit neatly into one discipline before getting in touch. Across these areas, the focus is on creative judgement, direction, visual communication and portfolio presentation rather than specialist technical training in every discipline.
    What is the usual starting point?
    The usual starting point is a paid initial portfolio and direction review.
     
    This gives us the opportunity to look at your current work, discuss what feels unclear and identify the most useful priorities before deciding whether any further guidance is needed.
    Is this mentoring, tutoring or a portfolio review?
    It can include elements of all three, depending on what you need.
     
    The initial session usually focuses on reviewing your work, identifying strengths and weaknesses and clarifying your direction. If continued support would be useful, this can develop into more structured mentoring or focused sessions around a particular area.
     
    It is not a fixed course or a standard lesson plan.
    Do you teach Figma, Adobe tools or other creative software?
    Yes, when the tool supports the work you are trying to improve.
     
    Sessions may include Figma, Adobe tools, interface craft, component thinking, portfolio presentation, visual production or other relevant workflows. The focus is not simply learning where the buttons are, but understanding how to use the tools to make stronger creative decisions.
    Can the guidance include UI/UX or design systems?
    Yes. For students and junior designers, this may include interface structure, usability, visual hierarchy, Figma, reusable components, consistency and introductory design-system thinking.
     
    The level of guidance will depend on your current experience and the work you want to develop.
    Is this mainly about AI-generated work?
    No. AI is part of the current creative landscape, but it is not the main purpose of the guidance.
     
    Where relevant, we can explore AI-assisted workflows, idea development and how to direct, evaluate and refine AI-supported output. The wider focus remains creative judgement, portfolio strength, visual craft and the thinking behind the work.
    Are sessions available online or in person?
    Sessions are available online or in person in Nicosia, Cyprus.
     
    The service is primarily focused on students and emerging creatives in Cyprus, although online enquiries from outside Cyprus may also be considered when the guidance feels like a suitable fit.
    Can a parent or guardian enquire for a student?
    Yes. A parent or guardian may enquire on behalf of a student.

    For anyone under 18, a parent or guardian must be aware of and involved in the enquiry and any sessions that are arranged.
    Can this help before applying to university or creative studies?
    Yes. The guidance can help you review your current work, identify gaps, consider what should be developed and prepare a clearer portfolio direction before applying to creative studies.

    I can provide feedback and guidance, but I cannot guarantee admission or complete application work on your behalf.
    Will you create or complete portfolio work for me?
    No. I will not complete school projects, university assignments, application work or portfolio pieces for you.

    The purpose is to help you understand the work more clearly, improve your decisions and develop the skills and judgement to create stronger work yourself.
    Do you guarantee university admission, employment or freelance work?
    No. The guidance can help strengthen your portfolio, presentation, judgement and direction, but it cannot guarantee admission, employment, clients or any other specific outcome.
     
    Your progress will also depend on your effort, development, circumstances and the opportunities available to you.
    Can the initial review become a longer mentorship?
    Yes. If the first session shows that continued guidance would be useful, we can discuss a more structured mentorship or a series of focused follow-up sessions.
     
    There is no requirement to commit to a longer programme before the initial review.
    Is this a paid service?
    Yes. The usual starting point is a paid initial review session.
     
    Pricing and session details are shared after I have reviewed the enquiry and confirmed that the guidance is a suitable fit.
    Can I book a session directly?
    Sessions are not available through open booking.
     
    The first step is to submit an enquiry so I can understand your level, interests and what you need help with. If I believe I can offer relevant support, I will reply with the recommended next step.
    Do you also offer sessions for agencies, studios or professional teams?
    Selected professional sessions may be available for agencies, studios, in-house creative teams and product teams.
     
    These are separate from student and early-career mentoring and may focus on creative direction, interface quality, visual craft, design-system thinking, AI-assisted workflows or an experienced outside review of the team’s work.

    To discuss a professional session, contact me directly with a short outline of what your team needs.

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