Is Canva the Comic Sans of the design world?
Oof! The shade of associating the newest design tool kid on the block with the most trolled typeface on the planet. The short answer though, is no. Far from being a shady design option, it's a great app that’s easily accessible and can take the sting out of creating graphics on a budget. BUT! You can easily run amok among the never-ending selection of templates, elements and fonts with disastrous results. Something I see more often than I’d like.
A Canva calamity is completely avoidable though, and here are my top tips guaranteed to do just that.
#1 Be picky about what you use Canva for
Sure, you could use it for everything, but unless you have design experience, I’d stick to using it to create things like:
Social media designs (posts, covers, ads)
Presentation decks
Web banners
Small and super basic animations
Psst here's an extra tip on finding icons that go together!
#2 Don’t use it like a share bag of Starmix
Just because Canva dangles a ton of bells, whistles and even foamy hearts in front of you, it doesn’t mean you need to eat use them all at once. By all means try things out, but be strict with yourself. Your clients’ eyeballs will thank you.
#3 Don’t use it to create a brand
This is my plea to all you small biz plate spinners. The results will look like something straight outta Stocktown and won’t do anything to to help you stand out.
“But Laura, I don’t have the £££s to hire a designer to create a bespoke logo!” If money’s tight and Canva’s your only option for a logo, go ahead - just proceed with caution. Be sure to keep it simple font-wise and steer clear of illustrations or faffy graphics. Save going wild for when you have a rough logo idea you'd like to mock up for a designer to explore and use to create a unique brand for you!
#4 Get the pro version
No, I’m not on commission here. The free version gives you plenty and is well worth sticking with. I’m always one for a wise investment though, and going pro unlocks a few handy time-saving tools like easy background removal, a magic eraser and, if you have a brand, the ability to load up your fonts, colours and logo versions so you can ensure brain-soothing consistency at all times.
#5 If budget allows, get a pro to create some templates for you.
Canva is incredibly simple to use compared to apps like Adobe Creative Cloud. And if you let a designer do the early heavy lifting, you’ll spend way less time putting docs together. Plus, they’ll look ace every time! Just avoid the temptation to go off-piste with fonts and colours. It’s guaranteed to dilute the intended impact and will make your designer cry.
Far from Canva being the butt of a running joke clients make that I'll hate them for using it, it’s an essential part of a small business owner’s toolkit that will help you build a brand without breaking the bank. (Still not on commission). You’ll find it infinitely useful, whether you’re just getting to grips with the basics of branding, or have a little more experience under your belt. And you absolutely don’t have to hide your love for it from the world. (Unlike your irrational affection for Comic Sans.)
