I have a confession
Blog Cover made using Canva by me :)
I have a confession to make… I use Canva. 😬😬 (Canva is a free online graphic design platform that made a $1.8 million net profit on a $25 million revenue in 2017 and has a valuation of over $6 billion 🤯 source)
I feel like it’s a sin in the design community to use it. Thou Shalt not use Canva.
At first, I was a hater because of its generic designs, BUT it has been so useful for me to create simple graphic design and uni presentations. I like that it’s free, everything is saved in the cloud and it’s super easy to use. It’s great for small businesses without a lot of budget to create content…and I’ll admit, it actually has really nice layouts. It has improved a lot since its early days.
The reason it gets so much hate is because people don’t customise the template designs, so you see the same ‘design’ on your social media feed and story over and over. Skip skip skip
Have you seen these designs before? Because SAME. Please please customise your designs!!!
My Tips when using Canva:
Make sure you align! Alignment is everything, make it centre, left or right. Whichever you choose
Leave a gap for your borders - it genuinely hurts when I see words so close to the edge
Use a maximum of 2 fonts. (3 is okay). And pick the right pairings.
Use a maximum of 3 colours
Play around with the Letter and Line Height
Always change the colours of the template to match your brand. Keep your content consistent
Don’t use the font ‘Playlist Script’. Just don’t. haha
Keep it simple! Less is more
Don’t make your logo on Canva. I can guarantee you someone out there will have the exact same logo as you
Trust your gut. Take a step back and look at your design. Does it feel right?
If in doubt, just hire an actual Graphic Designer! 😋
What’s your thoughts on Canva? Hate it or rate it? Let me know in the comments below 😊