Canva - Graphic Design Tool

What IS Canva?
Canva is a design tool. If you need to create flyers, brochures, business cards, social media "banners" or images, presentations, and more, Canva is a very convenient tool. If your project will involve an image or graphic, it's likely you'll be able to create it with Canva. 

Is Canva Affordable?
It can be! There is a free option - perfect to test out the platform! You'll likely find in a short time if you really get into using the service that you'll wish you could utilize the more pricey design options. 

• You can purchase a pricier template's design by the download where there's a fee each time you revise the template and each time you download it. This can be a challenge if you want the design in multiple formats, like pdf and jpeg. 
• If you're a non-profit or in education, you can apply for a free Pro account. 
• The Pro account is fairly affordable. This is perfect for a solo entrepreneur. You can learn more on their website.
• If you're part of a larger group, the Team plan may be what you need. There are a lot of added features in this plan found on the link above including up to five folks able to design. 
• Both the Pro and Team accounts offer a one-month free trial. You need to purchase the plan and keep an eye on your calendar if you only wish to use the trial period. 

Is It Easy to Use?
Generally, yes. It's a template-based product, There are some features you can change about each design's basic look, but you're best able to change or remove design details as you create. You can easily add or remove text boxes and image boxes to personalize the design. It's easy to edit - maybe too easy. There's an "undo" button to correct immediate errors or return to a prior look, but it's hard to recreate the template look once pieces are removed.

This uses "drag and drop" technology making it very convenient for novice users. It's also very easy to utilize the same design but change the size depending on how you'll use it, although you may need to shift some content to fit.

You're able to "share" the design with others. It's wise to duplicate the project for someone else to note editing ideas and maintain the integrity of your original design. You may download the project in many different formats - pdf, png, jpeg, mp4, and more. You can even have Canva download certain pages of a multi-page project to share only certain features. 

Do I Need to be an Artist?
Not really - but it does help to have an eye for design or style. This isn't for everyone. The key to saving some frustration is to try to get the base design right that you'll be adapting.

If you're working for someone else, share a few design ideas before you get to work. I created a happy hour flyer for a client which would be held at a Mexican restaurant. My initial direction was more the warm, spicy background colors and a margarita. The client didn't want to emphasize the alcohol but more the fun party atmosphere. That makes a difference in images built-in to the design and that you may wish to add along with the amount of verbiage you need to include. 

Can I See a Sample?
Sure! The image attached is an ad for a convention book I created recently, changing the image to my own and removing identifying language and offices/titles for client confidentiality. This was for a patriotic organization. Text boxes were rearranged quite a bit to be more visible for the amount of words needed as an original text box was in the red and white plank zone but weren't particularly visible. 

How Do I Get Started?
If you're feeling adventurous and wish to give it a try, head to Canva to create a free account to test it out. If you're not sure of your skills, I would be honored to assist you. Let's Chat to get an idea of the project and style you have in mind to bring your vision to life! I prefer to work more closely with clients than not so there is input all along the way to ensure it looks the way you have in mind.

Have you played with Canva? What do you think? I'd love to hear about your experiences - leave a comment!

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