Grow Your Skills with Canva

Sometimes it is incredibly difficult to communicate collected data to colleagues in other departments. It can even be hard to get readers to open a blog post without the right imagery or graphics. As Saul Bass so beautifully put it, “Design is thinking made visual.” It helps people understand and digest data more easily. As the adage goes, "a picture is worth a thousand words." Use engaging, brand-appropriate colors and visuals to illustrate the information and knowledge you want to convey. 

I use Canva to create most of the graphics you see on my blog. It is easy to learn and use, and will help you channel your inner design genius. 

For teams that can't bring on a designer or a full-time creative team, Canva can be an excellent resource for smaller projects. It can also promote cross-functional understanding, as other teams gain insight into the design team's work and efforts.

What is Canva?

Canva is an online graphic design platform that stays true to its slogan: "Amazingly simple graphic design software." The platform has the formats and dimensions needed for most social media posts, display ads, and marketing materials. A free version gives you access to most of the available options and tools. If you need more proprietary images or templates, you can opt for the paid version, called Canva for Work. 

How do you use Canva?

To get started, set up an account via email, Facebook, or Google+. If you don't have a design background, the next step is to sign up for the design school, which offers 30 short tutorials on how to use the platform, along with design tips. Canva offers many free templates for various themes, like holidays, sales, branding, and more. Canva for Work costs $12.95/month or $119.40/year lump sum. If you typically use your own images and templates, you can use the free version and pay a few dollars when you need it. 

Here is an example of a free infographic template you can find and adapt on Canva.

NK and Canva

As I mentioned earlier, I use this tool for almost all my blog graphics and fancier social media posts, especially Instagram posts with text overlay. One of the things I love most about the platform is how it lets me tap into my creative prowess. If I am ever lost, I can get inspired by other designers' pieces.

To learn more about the platform and try your hand at some fabulous designs, click here. Go ahead and give it a try! Who knows, a Van Gogh or Munch might be yearning to burst forth!

Thanks for reading!