Canva is a dedicated design tool that is intuitive and easy to use through their website portal:
Some of the designs you can create in canva include:
Brochures, Posters, Social Media Posts (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest), Flyers, Presentations, Cards, Blog Banners, Certificates, etc
The platform is free to use as long as you create an account, and allows users to download designs in multiple formats (including pdf, jpg, png, mp4, gif) or order designs printed through Canva.
The portal itself is simple and intuitive to use. Canva boasts a huge range of templates for all sorts of design needs and allows one to edit each template heavily or upload their own files to add to a design.
Canva does have a premium version that caters towards more professional branding. This can be accessed for a 30 day free trail, but for most people the standard features should be adequate.
INFOGRAPHICS
An important feature in Canva, is the ability to create infographics that are visually appealing with the help of hundreds of templates and tools.
The infographic on the left is an example of one of the hundreds of templates provided by Canva.
The default dimensions for infographic templates are 800px X 2000px, but can easily be changed to any desired dimensions and Canva also provides dimensions for different media platforms like Instagram or Twitter.
Infographics are a great way to present information and data in a more eye-catching way because as humans we process images and graphics faster than text.
TOOLS FOR DESIGN
In Canva, the menu is on the left side, the tools include, Templates, Photos, Elements, Text, Videos, Background, Uploads, etc.
TIPS ON CREATING AN INFOGRAPHIC
- CHOOSE A BACKGROUND OR A TEMPLATE
- You can upload your own image for a background by clicking Uploads and choosing an image from your computer.
- You can click Bkground, and choose from hundreds of patterns, photos, and designs.
- You can also choose from photos already provided by Canva by clicking Photos, and searching for certain images.
- For templates and background images, you can change the color or add an effect.
2. ADD TEXT AND GRAPHICS
- In Elements there are graphics, shapes, lines, and charts that can also be utilized for your infographic.
- In Text there are templates to display text in different fonts and styles, or you can also start from scratch and use a simple text box and choose fonts later.
- It is important to increase the amount of visual aids versus text, so take advantage of graphics to present the information and minimize the amount of text.