Creativity, Advertising & Design: Bonzai’s Pooja Kulkarni Discusses Making Pathways For Equitable Change

Creativity, Advertising & Design: Bonzai’s Pooja Kulkarni Discusses Making Pathways For Equitable Change



As recent research detailing Australia’s gender gap brings stark realities to light, it’s evident, now more than ever, the need that exists to hear and celebrate the diverse perspectives of women. In this article, Pooja Kulkarni (lead image), director product & design at Bonzai shares her approach to product development – one that’s built on empathy, perseverance and importantly, results.

In a world where each click, swipe and interaction serves as a digital fingerprint, designers hold the power to shape not only the user experience but the very essence of connection. I’ve been immersed in the industry for a decade, beginning my career as a brand designer. Now as Bonzai’s Director of Product and Design, I can safely say that I’ve learned a lot about what makes a product successful and well received across markets. And today I want to share them with you.

Here are my three key takeaways:

  1. A true understanding of the user’s needs: Don’t jump to solutions. Instead, first, work to understand the user’s needs. Design Thinking teaches us to really get into the user’s shoes and empathise with their challenges. You need to go deep into understanding a pain point and systematically arrive at a solution.
  2. Building a product is not enough: There’s more to building a product than just focusing on pixel-perfect designs. Once the product is developed, that’s when the real work begins. Strategic planning is imperative for ensuring the ongoing success of a product. It involves crafting a comprehensive go-to-market plan and consistently monitoring product usage – a pivotal element influencing crucial business decisions.
  3. Patience: Working on launching a product takes a lot of patience and perseverance, which can be challenging in a world driven by immediacy. However, with patience, you can easily remain undeterred with a clear vision. You realise that results take time to manifest.

On this IWD, I am proud to be leading a team that’s building powerful products like our recently released BrandStory, which empowers our customers to unlock new opportunities and revenue streams. We’re setting new standards in the industry, helping customers reach their audiences like never before. And we’re doing it in an environment that values empathy, collaboration and resilience — qualities that transcend gender boundaries.

My journey in tech as a woman

A career in tech was a consequence of many things aligning at the right time. My formal education is in the field of design. After a master’s degree and dabbling in brand design initially, I thought I wanted to explore working at a product tech company. Initially, though, I started as a brand designer at Bonzai, only to realise very soon there’s so much that goes into building a product. It challenged my preconceptions, and there I was at the crossroads, wanting to learn more. From being hesitant about entering the unknown territory of product design to now having at least crossed the fence, it’s been quite a journey.

Huge credit to the team at Bonzai for recognising an individual’s potential and then trusting them wholeheartedly with responsibility. I have experienced this right from the beginning and would like to thank the team for believing in me more than myself. That’s what keeps me going! With such an inclusive and supportive team, it’s easier to focus on building your career than having to worry about being accepted at the workplace. Bonzai has been successful in building an environment where your work speaks for you, and that’s what makes me look forward to going to work every day.

IWD: Embracing support, community and equality

Today, IWD has come to be another important day in the marketing calendars for brands and retail. But it’s important to look beneath the surface of this gloss, cupcakes and happy hours designed for women. I believe it’s a day to be grateful to all the women who have over the years led us to where we are today.

It’s easy to take things for granted, but to think the simplest things we enjoy today were probably illegal for women just about a century ago. Thankfully, we’ve come a long way since then. All the women who have struggled in these years for equality, education, opportunities and rights deserve a day to be remembered and celebrated.

It’s heartening to see more and more women stand their ground and not tolerate toxic work cultures. I think the best way to overcome this is to find a person you trust and confide in them. Having a strong woman mentor/coach can be life-altering. I’ve been lucky to have some wonderful women in my life to look up to. I hope I can be that support for more women someday.

Latest News

Fighting For ‘Attention’: How To Measure Campaigns In Today’s Content Saturated World
  • Partner Content

Fighting For ‘Attention’: How To Measure Campaigns In Today’s Content Saturated World

When it comes to ad campaigns, have you ever felt you’re ‘fighting’ for your audience’s attention? You’re not alone. Attracting and retaining audience attention in today’s digitally fragmented environment has never been more challenging. In fact, a recent study by Microsoft concluded that the human attention span has dropped to eight seconds – shrinking nearly […]

Partner Content
Women Paving the Path In Tech & Loyalty Share Key Insights
  • Technology

Women Paving the Path In Tech & Loyalty Share Key Insights

In the ever-evolving landscape of technology and loyalty, women are not just breaking barriers but reshaping the future. As we celebrate International Women’s Day and rally behind the theme of investing in women to accelerate progress, we made a conscious choice to forego the statistics that underscore the ongoing journey towards true gender parity. Instead, […]

Empowering Change: Women Leading The Generative AI Revolution In Marketing For International Women’s Day
  • Marketing

Empowering Change: Women Leading The Generative AI Revolution In Marketing For International Women’s Day

The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day, “Inspire Inclusion”, establishes a poignant tone for fostering authentic change. It perfectly mirrors the dynamic landscape of marketing, where change is the only constant. The last third-party cookie has finally crumbled, privacy laws are tightening, and now, Generative AI is quickly ushering in a new era of […]

Stevie-Ann Dovico Moves From NAB To Beyond Bank
  • Fintech

Stevie-Ann Dovico Moves From NAB To Beyond Bank

Stevie-Ann Dovico (lead image), has made the shift to customer-owned, Beyond Bank as its new chief information officer. The announcement came via Linkedin with happy to share that she is “ready to create real impact for and with our people, customers and communities” in her new role. Dovico replaces Fiona Floyd, who left the role […]

Redefining Tech Leadership: Deputy’s C-Suite Now 80% Women
  • Technology

Redefining Tech Leadership: Deputy’s C-Suite Now 80% Women

Deputy, the leading global people platform for hourly work, has announced the appointment of Sejal Patel Daswani (lead image) as its new chief people officer, resulting in a shift in the composition of its senior leadership, with women now making up 80% of the company’s C-Suite. Daswani has led people functions at every stage and […]

Acronis Names Cybersecurity Channel Veteran Kelly Johnson As General Manager For Australia & New Zealand
  • Technology

Acronis Names Cybersecurity Channel Veteran Kelly Johnson As General Manager For Australia & New Zealand

Acronis has appointed Kelly Johnson (lead image)as the new general manager for Australia and New Zealand. Johnson will lead the channel-focused business, strengthening relationships with distributors and supporting partners to meet the cybersecurity demands of modern businesses in the region. With the growing pressure on Australian businesses for cybersecurity and the drive to comply with […]

Aquent Salary Guide Reveals The Gender Pay Gap Persists In Marketing, Design & Technology Fields
  • Marketing
  • Technology

Aquent Salary Guide Reveals The Gender Pay Gap Persists In Marketing, Design & Technology Fields

Aquent has released its 2024 Australian Salary Guide for marketing, design, and technology talent. This year, it explores how marketing, design, and technology roles are expanding, deep dives into gender pay gaps, and examines the movement of salaries year-on-year—both in growth and decline. Paired with Aquent’s 2023 Talent Insights Report, the Salary Guide helps organisations […]

Tech Salaries Continue To Steady Out As Businesses Remain Cautious
  • Technology

Tech Salaries Continue To Steady Out As Businesses Remain Cautious

The hiring market is experiencing significant change, fluctuating between a frenzied candidate-short market and a more cautious employer-driven market, according to Talent’s ‘More Than Money Salary Guide 2024’. Tech and digital salaries continue to steady out but remain strong for key skillsets such as cybersecurity and AI. The report features key salaries, roles and skills […]

Surging Job Satisfaction For Australia’s Young Tech Workers Amid Labour Market Cooling
  • Technology

Surging Job Satisfaction For Australia’s Young Tech Workers Amid Labour Market Cooling

While 2021’s big workplace trend was The Great Resignation, 2024’s big trend is likely to be ‘The Big Stay’ in Australia, concludes modern HR platform HiBob in its latest research of young Australians working in the tech sector. The combination of decreasing Australian job vacancies and a remarkable increase in job satisfaction among Australia’s young tech workers in 2023 […]