Profiles
Mansi Bakle
Senior product designer // Canvs
How it started
When the world was grappling with COVID-19, many people found themselves facing uncharted territory. Around the same time, Mansi Bakle, a young designer, was stepping into a new era of her professional life — she was taking a leap into the new realm of digital design from her foundational one in industrial design. But, it wasn't just a job change, it would shape where her career would go.
The pandemic had really shaken things up in the traditional manufacturing and design industries, pushing Mansi to rethink her professional path. To her, digital design felt like it would be more dynamic, with a more immediate intellectual payoff and quicker iteration cycles, unlike the slower, more structured processes of industrial design.
Adapting to a New World
Joining Canvs at the time, Mansi found herself stepping into a largely remote setup, a stark contrast to the buzz of a conventional design studio. "I was largely observing how things were done differently here,” she says, speaking about her early days that saw her gradually immerse into the Canvs culture of learning, made possible by deep, ongoing discussions on design.
Mansi was used to an environment where every minute was planned and accounted for. So, when she had the freedom to manage her own tasks and time at Canvs, it felt liberating, but it also felt daunting. She recalls her early days saying, "I was shadowing people, constantly talking to them, trying to figure out what projects were going on, where I could help, or even just what I could look at, so that I could try out my own explorations."
Learning with observation and discussion
Imagine a place where design discussions don’t flow a strict schedule, but flow naturally — that’s what it’s like at Canvs. Here, the focus is on communicating with each other and learning organically, rather than being constantly monitored. This free exchange of ideas, opinions and resources further deepened Mansi’s understanding of product design. “There were smaller but really important learnings there," she explains.
Her first project involved minor tasks which helped her understand things like file management and refining details like padding and alignment. These tasks, although small, were foundational, helping Mansi understand the standards expected of her.
The real turning point came with an insurance project a few months into her tenure. This project was Mansi's first solo flight, where she was entrusted with more responsibility — from initial ideation to client interactions. "It was scarier than before," Mansi admits, "because now I wasn't just executing tasks but also explaining my design decisions to clients and colleagues."
This entire experience was not only about design, but about Mansi’s capability to handle a project end-to-end, which she did extremely well. The feedback given to her and the iterations made along the way taught her how to be resilient and adaptable by design — qualities that are invaluable in a results-driven studio like Canvs. “There weren't check-ins every hour; instead there were meaningful inputs that really helped me along the duration of the project.”
The art of balancing multiple projects
Developing a Richer Design Perspective
Trusting the process
One of the bigger shifts for Mansi was learning to trust the process, and the people guiding her through it. A critical part of this was feedback, and as Mansi points out, at Canvs, feedback is a part of work culture.
"The feedback I received wasn’t just about correcting errors, it was about understanding the 'why' behind every decision. It was always constructive, and came from a place of helping me grow rather than pointing out faults. It’s made a significant difference in how I handle projects now.”
This has been invaluable, as being able to trust the process has allowed Mansi to go from from being a newcomer in product design to being a confident and competent designer capable of mentoring others.
A Story of Growth and Grace
Mansi's story at Canvs is one of growth marked by periods of intense learning and moments of reflection. Her journey is an example of how a nurturing environment, combined with a willingness to learn and adapt, can transform theoretical knowledge into impactful, practical skills. Nearly three years into her journey at Canvs, Mansi reflects on it saying, “I've learned that design is not just about aesthetics or usability but about solving problems in a way that feels intuitive and engaging to the user.”
Looking ahead, Mansi’s excited about what’s next for her at Canvs. “I see myself continuing to grow here, continuing to explore more design challenges, and pushing the limits of what I can do. It’s not just about becoming better at design, but understanding how my work can impact others, while being a part of a community that encourages me to be better,” she concludes.
