The power tool
Canva
What sort of tool is it?
Website application. Comes with apps for mobile devices so you can work on the go.
Where to Get it
Cost
The basic version of Canva is free and it is more than adequate for most basic design needs.
What it’s used for
Canva has templates that let you easily design;
- Instagram posts
- Instagram stories (still, animated and video)
- Facebook posts
- Facebook stories
- Facebook cover pictures
- LinkedIn posts
- LinkedIn stories
- LinkedIn cover pictures
- Flyers
- Brochures
- Possters
- Workbooks
- PDF documents
- Videos
- Photo collages
- Logos
- Event invites
- Presentations
- Zoom virtual backgrounds
- CD covers
and many other things. The list of things you can design with Canva is so long, it’s ridiculous to think that one website can do all these things.
For writers specifically, Canva makes it easy for you to design
- social media posts
- book covers
- business cards
- merchandise
- blog graphics
- planners
and more.
My experience with Canva
I started using graphic design and desktop publishing apps in 1997. From Aldus Pagemaker, to Paintshop Pro, Corel Draw, Photoscape, Lightroom and Photoshop, I have used a tonne of different apps. When I first heard about Canva, I hesitated because I figured I had photoshop the industry benchmark. Why would I want to switch to something else?
But Canva kept on popping up wherever I looked. So, in 2020, I desired to try it. No other design app has so rapidly changed the way I worked, improved my efficiency and my ability to produce high quality graphics in a ridiculously short space of time.
Within a few weeks, Canva had become my go to app for all design. I now start with Canva and only when it can’t do the job, do I turn to Photoshop.
Canva was designed to be easy and intuitive – and it is. The thing that makes it super easy is all tens of thousands of templates it comes with and the millions of elements and royalty free photos that you can add to your designs by simply dragging and dropping them.
You can add music and videos to your designs in pretty much the same way.
The other thing that makes Canva super easy is how you can easily duplicate a page or design.
I run a number of social media accounts and Canva has made it possible to quickly develop content for them. In case you cannot tell already, I love this website.
Author: Fungai Tichawangana
Fungai is a journalist, writer and web developer who is passionate about tech and promoting the arts. In 2015 he was awarded a Nieman Journalism Fellowship and Berkman Klein Fellowship for Journalism Innovation.
