What’s So Wrong with Canva??
Canva is making design accessible for everyone, and it’s giving some artists the ICK! Make any public social media post about the ubiquitous software and wait for the eye-rolls to flock to your comments section. Many professional designers and digital marketers believe that Canva and similar design software, allow non-artists to assume the title of “Designer” without having to get it out the mud like they did. The online discourse gets heated between the “real artists” and the Canva artists!
I would probably fall under the “real artist” label since I have natural talent and I’ve spent time and money on formal training. However, I use Canva all the time for personal and professional projects. Though I understand why trained designers would feel protective over their profession, art IS for everyone and we’ve managed to corporatize art in our society, so gatekeeping left the room a long time ago. Sure, I definitely know how to use the more sophisticated design software you’d find in Adobe Creative Suite, but I think that only matters for certain industries and companies. (Check out my humorous TikTok video personifying the different graphic design software.) A strong background in a variety of design software will always be relevant and more attractive to companies and clients than just knowing how to use Canva, but what I think makes Canva awesome is one of the main gripes for many artists: it allows anyone to do graphic design. I think Canva is a great, versatile tool that can help streamline the workload of anyone in digital marketing. Specifically, I think it’s awesome for creating social media content and simple, quick design projects like flyers.
Is it the best out there? Hell no. Are the designs better than what you’d get from a “real” designer? Not really. The quality of the templates is a bit mixed in my opinion, which I know is also a sore spot for designers. You also run the risk of blending in with everyone else online. However, think about the small companies and solopreneurs you love who wouldn’t have existed or may have had their dreams deferred without the ease and affordability of something like Canva. Or a parent who wants to create a special invitation for their child’s party. Not every art project requires hiring a professional, and a lot of people can’t afford a designer anyway. They still deserve the chance to take ownership of their ideas. If all humans are innately creative, who are we to say who shouldn’t be able to tap into it for any reason?
Big companies and marketing agencies are starting to use Canva as a staple in their business model, so even those with the skills to go beyond the software still need to know it. Artists, we just have to take this one with a grain of salt. What’s helped me be less critical, is allowing some room to consider that everything has its place - even Canva. Also, there’s enough room for everybody to eat, or at least, put together a decent letterhead for their office stationery without breaking the bank. Someone else knowing how to use Canva without a design degree hasn’t taken anything away from me (yet), and I’m sure it’s the same for other professional designers in the wild. If we start seeing a monumental shift there, then I’ll probably be back here with a different think-piece.
There are many tools available that allow people to develop visuals for a creative idea. If something isn’t for you, don’t use it. Personally, I think it can’t hurt to learn as much as you can about the industry you’re in. Whenever the next thing in design starts popping up, I’ll probably figure out how to use that too. For now, it’s looking like Canva is here to stay so we have to deal with it!
