How to design better and faster in Canva

You know that feeling when you’re staring at your screen, cursor blinking, surrounded by a sea of templates, colors, and fonts. Three hours later, you’ve created… well, something. But it looks like your toddler’s art project and has zero resemblance to the polished graphic you had in your mind. Sound familiar? I’m pretty sure half of the internet just said, “hi, it’s me.”

Learning how to design in Canva doesn’t have to feel like throwing darts in the dark. With a few smart moves, you can transform from a frazzled designer to a Canva queen. Let’s talk about how you can use learn how to design in Canva to stay on brand without going rogue. This is your designer’s guide to using Canva for your brand.

Establish your brand identity

Before you start diving into Canva and get distracted by all the fonts, colors, and templates, you need to establish your own brand identity first. This means getting crystal clear on your colors, fonts, and logo. There’s a lot that goes into making the right selections for your brand identity and style (you can dive deeper here), but here’s the basics: Pick 2-3 colors that represent your brand’s personality – maybe a bold red for passion or a calming blue for trust. Choose 2-3 fonts that speak your brand’s language – are you more of a sleek sans-serif or a classic serif kind of gal?

And don’t forget your logo – it’s like your business’s signature. Having these elements defined is like having a style guide for your online wardrobe. Every design decision becomes easier when you’ve got your brand identity set in stone.

Setting up your brand kit

Now that you’ve got your brand identity sorted, it’s time to make Canva your personal design assistant. Setting up your brand kit is like having a mini-you making design decisions 24/7. You’ll need a Canva Pro account to access the full brand kit features, but it’s worth the investment for the time you’ll save.

Once you’re logged in, click on Brand option in the left sidebar, then navigate to the brand kit. You can add a new kit and name your brand kit for your business. Then you can add your brand colors – no more “is this the right shade of blue?” moments. Upload your chosen fonts so you’re not tempted by the siren call of that quirky new typeface that’s totally off-brand. And get all versions of your logo in there – full color, black, white, with tagline, without tagline. Pro tip: Add a transparent background version for versatility.

You can also add any other brand assets you might need to design with – icons, photos, and graphics, all the things. Trust me, future you will be so grateful when you’re not digging through old files at 11 PM trying to find the right logo or image for that urgent social post. You can even set brand controls so that you or other team members are restricted to using just your brand elements within designs and keep everything super consistent. Now, when you’re designing, you can easily access your brand elements from the brand kit panel.

Organize your folders

Creating folders is like giving each piece of your content its own home. Set up main folders for broad categories like “Social Media,” “Blog Graphics,” and “Lead Magnets.” Then, get specific with subfolders – “Instagram Posts,” “Pinterest Pins,” “Facebook Covers.” Oh, and don’t forget to create a “playground” folder for those wild ideas that pop into your head at 2 AM. Having an organized Canva workspace isn’t just satisfying (though it totally is) – it’s a massive time-saver. No more endless scrolling through your designs trying to find that one graphic from three months ago. PS: don’t forget to add new designs to the right folders so they don’t get lost in the shuffle.

Set Up Projects

Think of Canva projects as rooms in your design house. Each one has a specific purpose, and you want to furnish it just right. Create a project for each major content type you regularly produce. Maybe you’ve got an “Instagram Feed” project, a “Blog Featured Images” project, and a “Client Proposals” project. Within each project, start adding relevant templates (we’ll get to those in a minute).

And if you’ve got a team, this is where the magic really happens. Invite them to specific projects so everyone’s on the same page – literally. It’s like having a virtual design studio where everyone knows exactly where to find what they need.

Work Smarter, Not Harder with templates

Templates are your secret weapon in the battle against design overwhelm. Think of them as a capsule wardrobe for your designs – mix and match pieces that always work together. For each type of content you regularly create, make a template that aligns with your brand.

Instagram post? Template it. Pinterest pin? Template it. Weekly newsletter header? You guessed it – template it. Leave placeholders for images and text so you can quickly swap in new content. The beauty of templates is that they ensure consistency across your brand while saving you tons of time. No more starting from scratch every time you need to create a graphic!

Speed Up Your Workflow with Shortcuts

Learning Canva shortcuts is like learning to type without looking at the keyboard – it feels clunky at first, but soon you’ll be flying through your designs. Start with the basics: Ctrl+C for copy, Ctrl+V for paste, Ctrl+G for group, Ctrl+Shift+G for ungroup. Then level up to the power moves: using arrow keys with Shift for precise movements, or Ctrl+Shift+K to show or hide rulers and guides. You can also create custom shortcuts for your most-used actions. Before you know it, your fingers will be dancing across the keyboard, and your designs will be done in record time.

Element Organization

Think of layers in Canva as the structure of your design house. Just like you wouldn’t put the roof on before the walls, organizing your elements in a logical way makes your designs easier to edit and refine. Use groups to keep related elements together – maybe your logo and tagline, or a photo with its caption.

Get in the habit of naming your layers, especially for more complex designs. Future you will thank past you when you’re not playing guessing games trying to find that one tiny element you need to tweak. And master the arrange tools (bring forward, send backward, etc.) to perfect your layout.

Saving and Downloading

Let’s make sure all your hard work doesn’t go to waste with poor saving and downloading practices. Develop a naming convention that makes sense to you. Maybe it’s date_platform_topic, or client_project_version. Whatever works for your brain, stick to it consistently. When it comes to downloading, think about where this graphic is going to live. Social media usually wants a JPEG or PNG, while anything for print should be a high-quality PDF. Use Canva’s folder system to keep your files organized and easy to retrieve. It’s like creating a filing system for your digital designs – a little effort now saves a lot of headaches later.

Canva Pro Perks

If you’re ready to take your Canva skills to the next level, Canva Pro is like upgrading from coach to first class. You get access to premium templates and elements, which is like having a professional design team in your back pocket. The background remover tool is a game-changer for product photos or headshots. And the enhanced brand kit features make staying on-brand a breeze, even with a team. Yes, it’s an investment, but for many businesses, the time saved and the professional polish it adds to your designs make it worth every penny.

Recap

Learning how to design in Canva and becoming a Canva queen doesn’t happen overnight. But with these tricks up your sleeve, you’re well on your way to creating scroll-stopping, brand-boosting designs in no time flat. So go ahead, flex those design muscles, and show the world what you’ve got.