Out-of-the-Box Design: Has Canva Made Everyone a Pro?

Canva: the out-of-the-box design solution that’s long-since taken the world of amateur design by storm. All you need is a web browser, a single click on a premade template, and you can whip up your masterpiece in minutes.

Seems like a cut and dry case for closing the book on professional design… right?

Maybe not. It’s time someone asked the big questions, including:

• What can a designer bring to the table that Canva doesn’t already provide?
• Is it time to just let AI algorithms handle the tough design stuff?
• Where and when can Canva really shine?

It’s time to tackle the ups and downs of out-of-the-box design.

Canva – The Negatives

Exhibit A: take a look at this flyer.

This was created from Canva, using an existing template. It’s not the worst flyer you’ll ever see, but at the same time, this thing was knocked together in 15 minutes, and it shows. 

It doesn’t inspire, the picture (a clearly disobedient cheetah) doesn’t match the intended message, and the base colours weren’t even changed from the template. Without a truly creative hook, your eyes just slide down the page and right off; there’s not much there to hold your attention.

Here’s what SBM’s Design team had to say:

“Text is the main problem. First and foremost all the different text sizes and using caps randomly.

If it’s obedience classes for cheetahs you should show a calm one, not one that’s about to go at you, haha.

If you want to get funny about it I wouldn’t use lines in the circles, it’s not a tiger 😛”  –Ana

“Please tap the main heading to the left by three or four pixels!

The “note” section could be smaller and maybe run down the bottom somewhere… the entire text block is 2 dang big overall.

Also, I agree with Ana. I would NOT pet that cheetah. Please replace with pettable cheetah.” – Henry

“The line breaks need attention. Typesetting just isn’t refined.” – Sara S.

A professional designer recognises the importance of all the tiny details that demand attention, draw the eye to the right places, and let the viewer’s gaze flow smoothly to the big conclusion – usually a call to action. 

Compare version 1 with the following, quickly given a quick once over by a professional designer:

Sure, most changes were subtle– that’s what you get from a lightning-fast patch job– but in just a few minutes, a skilled designer was able to:

• Improve the flow of information.
• Swap the picture for one that suits the content far better.
• Mix the fonts and word placement for something that’s way more dynamic than just words sliding down the left of the page.
• Make the cheetah #pettable.

Cookie-cutter templates might put a few casual folks on Fiverr out of business, but that’s mostly because those people were doing the same thing: using templates, instead of graduating to the advanced tools.

If you’re looking for something with the perfect flow of information and head-turning visuals, then you’re going to need someone with some professional design skills.

Canva – The Positives

SBM might have its own team of Design pros, but we’re not about to lobby for Canva to be scrubbed from the web. Design platforms that give businesses a helping hand are a great thing to have – here’s where they can really shine.

Simple Projects: Not every social media post needs to run through a designer with 25 years of experience. If you’re looking for simple, bright graphics for your business’ social media, flyers for an event, or to add some flair to your presentations, ‘out-of-the-box’ could be the perfect solution.

Crunchy Deadlines: Need something fast? Working through pro designers takes time – a ten-hour task that drops after business hours might just be better off as a template job.

Non-Branded Projects: You don’t want to take risks with your brand. A web banner that every visitor to your site is going to see? Definitely needs a designer’s eye. But a standard bit of design using existing assets? A premade template matches the task.

Internal Projects: Your own team isn’t going to judge your brand as harshly as the general public. If you need to announce your next pizza night or bake sale in style, then Canva has about ten-thousand options to make that a cinch.

So, what’s the takeaway?

Simple, accessible design can be a massive advantage for all businesses. Not every social media post needs ten hours of intense pro design polishing – thanks to Canva and similar platforms, you can whip up graphics that’ll go over just fine with your Facebook audience.

On the flip side? Professional design will always be the absolute best option for the important stuff: logos, web designs, and pretty much anything that’s meant to last, be seen by your audience, and make a fantastic impression from that first glance.

Speaking of professional design…

Our Design team has some pretty incredible past work – browse the gallery here!