If you’re a small business, you’ve probably heard of both Canva and the Adobe Creative Suite. If not, where have you been?
Both are design platforms used for creating your crucial design and marketing assets to promote your business (so you should have heard of at least one).
Workbooks, social media posts, adverts are just a few of the many items they are used to design, not to mention price lists and lead magnets. As a designer, the Adobe suite has always been my go-to choice. Indesign for layout, Illustrator for logo design and Photoshop for photo touch-ups and effects.
I love Adobe, and each is amazing in its own right, but to use them well has taken years (something a small business owner is short of), and there’s always more to learn, and depending on what you are designing, they can be overkill.
Which leads to my guilty pleasure… Canva.
Some designers might lynch me for saying I use Canva, but my reply is always the same, utilise all the tools available to you; it’s the person using the design software that makes a designer, not the tools they use.
But what is Canva?
Canva is an online-only design platform founded in 2013 created to make design accessible to all. Since its creation, it has got huge! With now more than 30 million people using it a month. There is a premium paid for version, or you can have a free account. Compared to Adobe, which only offers a free 7-day trial, then you have a monthly subscription.
I have to be honest, the first time I took a look at Canva, I left feeling repulsed. As a designer with over 16 years of experience and training, I couldn’t believe they had attempted to simplify the design process, not to mention it being clumsy and clunky to use. Or was it my ego talking? Who knows, but it wasn’t for me.
Fast forward a few years and, the noise around the platform had grown. People were raving about it all over social media, so I decided to give it a second chance. I was surprised by how much it had changed. It had many new functions that were rivalling the Adobe programs.
I’m not going to lie; It had hooked me.
When you run your own business, speed can be of the essence. Sometimes you need to get a social graphic out quickly, and that’s where Canva gains a gold star. It brings content creation and publishing all into one platform (if you have the premium version). You can design and post on social media all in a few clicks.
From a designer’s perspective, I want to offer my clients all options when designing their assets. Many of my clients don’t have access to the Adobe software or are inclined to learn how to use it. But they do use Canva, and creating their assets within their platform means they can change them when needed.
No, it’s not perfect, and I would never use it for any of my logo design projects. But for a sales proposal or if you are creating social posts, it’s a great platform.
No, it’s not perfect, and I would never use it for any of my logo design projects. But when you need a sales proposal or a So yes, I’m a designer and, yes, I do, use Canva. It’s my guilty pleasure, but I also understand that it has a time and a place in the world of professional design.
Pros and Cons of Canva
Pros
- Free for all version
- Simple to learn and use
- Batch create social posts
- Templates for non-designers
Cons
- Not for logo design (you can not trademark)
- No vectors (logo design you need this)
- No custom drawing of shapes
- 30 million users using the same templates
- Only exports as RGB (Print needs to be CMYK)
- No internet – no designing
Pros and Cons of Adobe
Pros
- Design anything (the world is your oyster)
- Perfect for print and online
- Create Custom designs
Cons
- Complicated to learn/use for beginners
- Not portable ( you need the computer with the software on)
- Expensive
Whatever your preference of design platform, both Canva and Adobe have a place, but as I’ve previously said: it’s the person using the software that makes a designer’. Just because the platforms are available, it doesn’t always make it any easier for the user.
If you’re still struggling with your design or marketing assets, arrange a call with me today, I’d love to help.
