Canva and Cappuccinos

  

    As a marketing student, there are many different applications and programs that I use on a near-daily basis. My favorite of these, however, is Canva. Canva is a graphic design tool that allows you to make virtually any media you desire, such as business cards, logos, social media graphics, cards and invitations, and so much more. It is easy to use, incredibly customizable, and is an easy way to ensure that your designs never look too similar to anyone else's. If you've never heard of Canva before, or if you're new to the Canva scene and are looking for a little more information on how to use it-- well, you've come to the right blog. But first, let's make coffee, shall we? Follow my recipe for the perfect Cappuccino.

    That's better. Now, let's talk about Canva. Like I said, Canva is the tool of all tools, but using it in a way that allows you to end up with professional-grade designs at a bare minimum skill level? That's the tricky (and fun) part. I've taken the liberty of putting together my Top Three Tips and Tricks for you on how to maximize your Canva creativity. 

Tip Number One 

    My first and, arguably, the most important tip, is to select your fonts wisely. This is probably what I spend the most time on with my designs-- finding the perfect font that fits the tone of your design, as well as the style of your design, is crucial to pulling the whole piece together. You never want to use, for example, two fonts of a Calligraphy, or of a Serif. Take the above design, for instance--I created that graphic using Canva Pro. To do so, I chose two fonts that are very different from each other, and it helps both words to stand out in their own ways. If I were to have made both "coffee" and "break" into the same font, it would have come out more boring to the eye. Let me show you.

    The design on the left draws your eye in, while the design on the right produces a skimming effect. Your eyes see it, but they don't stop to pay attention to it. It doesn't catch your eye and make you pause like the design on the left. In an article on Canva's blog, graphic designer Kitkat Latimosa says that, “For beginners, a good rule of thumb is to never use more than two fonts in one design. A good font pairing both contrasts and complements each other." 

Tip Number Two

    

    Less is more. You may have a lot of information to fit on your design-- and that's totally okay! But that doesn't mean that your entire design needs to be filled with text. You may look at your design and think, there's too much empty space-- and that's okay, too! Sometimes your design needs a little more or a little less, but I promise you-- too little is better than too much, and sometimes the designs that might seem lacking? They end up having the most impact, because it shows emphasis. I'll show you an example with a couple designs that I created.

    The design on the left catches your eye, but its so busy that you can probably feel your eyes begging you to look at something else. Meanwhile, the design on the right gives a no-nonsense, focus-on-the-question-design. It makes your eye roam around the image, it makes you want to give it a moment of your time. It is for this exact purpose that Canva's Kitkat Latimosa says, “I know that it’s tempting to use many different elements in a design, but limiting things like your colors, fonts, shapes, and images will make your final output look much more clean and cohesive.”

Tip Number 3

    Don't go color crazy. If you are looking to create a professional-looking design that is pleasing to the eye, draws attention, is apt to gain traction, and fits your needs, the way to do it is to be selective of your colors. If you already have a logo, great! Use the colors from your logo! If you don't, or you're looking to establish your logo, Canva's blog states that it is best to keep your number of colors down to four. Anything more than that becomes too chaotic, and will oftentimes drive people away from your design. Here is an example with two designs I've created.

    The design on the left has more color, but the design on the right is cleaner and more natural looking. It flows with the image and style better than the colors of the left design, and their color totals come out to seven (left) and four (right). Graphic designer Kitkat Latimosa states that, “Choosing colors tends to be a matter of personal taste, but make sure to choose colors that match the vibe and theme of the design you’re making. Limiting your palette to three [or] four colors, though not a hard-and-fast rule, tends to make your design look cleaner and more balanced.”

    So, those are my top three tips for getting the most our of your Canva designs as possible. As you make your designs, whether they're for social media, a school presentation, a business logo, or whatever else they may be, keep in mind that the best way to learn is to keep doing it! If you're looking to practice, create a brand in your head. From there, create a logo for the brand. And then a business card, a social media post, and so on until  you feel yourself becoming comfortable with the tools at your disposal. Do that, and soon enough you'll be the one writing blog posts about how to use Canva. 

    Thanks for Reading,

        The Caffeinated College Student

    *** Disclaimer: Many of the elements in my above designs are only available through Canva pro, the paid subscription version of Canva. You do not have to use this option-- there is plenty of wiggle room in the free version of Canva, especially for beginners-- but Pro is what works best for me with my specific set of needs. In case you are curious, I'll provide a pricing graphic below for the different Canva options.