We continue to publish our recommendations for improving productivity when working on a MacBook. This time we will look at a universal platform. which can be used online as a tool or installed on your MacBook or other device, including smartphones.

Creating eye-catching visuals is essential in today's digital world - whether it's for your social media posts, logos, banners, or business cards. Luckily, even beginners can now design professional-quality graphics with Canva, an online platform providing users with customizable templates for various projects.

The story of this product began in 2013 in Sydney, Australia. The founders of Canva Inc. were Melanie Perkins, Cameron Adams, and Cliff Obrecht. They managed to raise $300 million in the project and introduced Canva, an online platform with easy-to-use graphic design tools, to the world. In 2020, the service raised a new round of funding at a company valuation of over $6 billion, making Canva one of the fastest-growing unicorns in Australia. Canva doesn't specialize in creating presentations. It's a broader application: it gives you the ability to create almost any digital and print product. E-books, certificates, letterheads, invitation cards, mood boards, scrapbooks, flyers, calendars, invoices, YouTube thumbnails and more can all be made in Canva.

The primary focus of Canva lies in exceptional design, which is why professional image manipulation is given the utmost importance. Its integrated image editing tool allows users to create impressive illustrations, even from less-than-ideal photographs.

Editorial Tools

• Image alignment: Canva provides guides, rulers, and an efficient precision swivel feature to help position the photograph in harmony with other design elements.
• Filters and visual effects: Effortlessly enhance the original image with Canva's numerous single-step options, like adding a dramatic vintage film-like appearance. Additionally, apply one of 20 filters to your graphic.
• Picture frames: Recognizing the value of frames in design, Canva offers a vast collection of frame styles, including shaped variants. Pre-make design layouts using these frames and easily add images later.
• Graphic components: Beyond standard shapes, symbols, and themed designs, Canva allows users to insert animated stickers and "text clouds" into images for added layers of creativity.
• Photo Mosaic: Craft mosaics seamlessly using Canva's wide range of grid options. Simply drag and drop the desired image into an empty grid cell, and the platform automatically optimizes it.
• Textures: When working with backgrounds on Canva, utilize not only images or color fills but also a variety of textures like wood, moss, fabric, paper, or design patterns to enhance your content.

Separately, I want to write about the possibility of using AI tools when editing images.
 

The founders of Canva claim that they have been working with the implementation of AI since 2019, and since the beginning of this year, they have added new tools such as background removal, text-to-image capability, and more. As someone who has been creating content for more than one year, I can say that the clarity of background removal in Canva is better than all the applications I have tried in the last six months.

Canva provides an extensive range of sharing options for your completed presentation, tailored for various purposes such as Event Presentations, Marketing, Company Presentations, Startup Presentations, Portfolios, or Business Plans. Additionally, the platform offers a variety of topic-specific templates, including Technology, Architecture, Medicine, and Finance, as well as several presentation styles such as Lists, Instructional Content, Creative Presentations, or Animated Presentations.
Conveniently share your work through a multitude of channels such as sending a viewable or editable link, downloading in PPT, PDF, GIF, JPG, or MP4 formats, or even printing slides as promotional material like posters, flyers, postcards, or letterheads. Share your creations on popular social media platforms like Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram, or store them on cloud services such as Dropbox or OneDrive.

Creating a diagram or chart with Canva with Chart Builder, which can be seamlessly integrated into various designs, such as presentations. To start, choose an appropriate template categorized by function, including Comparisons, Visual Representations, Project Administration, Ratios, Associations, and Trends.

After selecting a template, input your data and incorporate icons, symbols, and illustrations. Customize the chart by modifying colors, typefaces, and background visuals, as well as adjusting brightness, contrast, and saturation levels. To ensure a seamless blend with the presentation's color scheme, the creative software's AI can identify dominant hues in the uploaded photos and develop a color palette accordingly.
Once completed, the chart can be downloaded, printed, shared via a link, embedded into a webpage or social media platform, or incorporated into a presentation or any other design created using the digital design tool.

With Canva, you have the opportunity to collaborate with fellow users on your creative designs by sending them invitation links. Communication is made simple with the commenting feature, which is included in the free version. For those seeking advanced functionalities, the Pro and Enterprise packages are available.

Canva is an accessible online platform that can be utilized through a web browser or by downloading the app on your iOS or Android device. The free application can be found at the App Store and Google Play store.

A variety of features are offered in the "Free" plan, including thousands of adaptable templates, over 100 design types, an extensive media library, an image editor, filters, and collaboration tools. Share your works instantly to social networks from the Kanva app, or upload them to your cloud storage.

Try Canva Pro with a complimentary 30-day trial period that grants you access to more than 250,000 templates, brand administration tools, custom fonts, and branding features, as well as the ability to export your designs as GIFs and MP4s. The Pro plan also comes with a library of premium images and round-the-clock customer support. The Canva Pro subscription costs $14.99 per user per month, or $119.99 billed annually.

Canva empowers individuals to generate custom graphic designs through professional templates and an expansive collection of images, icons, audio, video, and supplementary components. The layout editing process is incredibly user-friendly, thanks to its intuitive Drag & Drop interface. Advanced artificial intelligence features contribute to a polished design by adhering to specific color schemes, neatly positioning elements, and more. Utilizing pre-made layouts and intelligent tools significantly simplifies the design process, making the service suitable for experts and novices alike.

Distinct from typical design creation software, Canva specializes in various design aspects, with images being just one facet. Canva shines as the go-to platform when producing diverse graphic design projects, such as presentations, business cards, and business plans. A vast selection of pre-existing templates is available, enabling users to maintain consistency in style and incorporate identical elements or objects across multiple projects.
By streamlining the design process, Canva substantially enhances self-productivity. The platform offers a myriad of tools and resources within the Canva app and Canva online, making it convenient for users to produce professional-quality content in the Canva Creator Studio. Subscribing to Canva Pro unlocks even more resources, allowing creators to save valuable time and focus on generating unique and captivating content.