Canva Pros and Cons from a Graphic Design Expert

Canva has made graphic design accessible for businesses of all sizes, allowing anyone to create professional-looking visuals without a design background. But is it always the best tool for the job? Sherado weighs the pros and cons of Canva—when it works, when it doesn’t, and what businesses should consider before relying on it for their graphic design and marketing needs.

💡 What you’ll learn:

- Benefits of using Canva for graphic design and marketing needs
- Where Canva falls short—and when a professional tool (or pro designer) is the better option

Sutherland Weston Marketing Communications, Maine's Premier Marketing and Public Relations Company, presents The Briefcase—quick, insightful conversations delivering actionable tips for business & marketing success.

Got questions for our team? Connect with us at SutherlandWeston.com!

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
What Canva does really well is its useof templates, but if you're looking

(00:06):
for, you know, that kind of personalbespoke touch, a professional designer
would be a, a better way to go.
This is the Briefcase from SutherlandWeston Marketing Communications.
Quick conversations from everydayobservations, delivering practical
marketing ideas you can carry with you.
My name is Sherado Sands artdirector and graphic designer.

(00:29):
Here at Sutherland Weston Ikeep seeing Canva advertised
or mentioned or suggested.
What's Canva?
Canva is a browser based design software.
You know, use it online and browsers.
Is it any good?
It's good.
Like anything else, it's a tool.
It has its pros and cons.
I think what Canva does reallywell is its use of templates.

(00:53):
Mm-hmm.
So someone who doesn't havethat design experience can put
together something that's ofsound quality by using templates.
It'll do, it'll get the job done.
But if you're looking for,you know, that kind of.
Personal, bespoke touch a professionaldesigner would be a, a better way to go.
Can you recognize Canva when you see it?

(01:14):
At this point I think I can.
Would I recognize Canva if I see it?
Um, hard to say.
It just depends on your exposureto graphic design and advertising.
So yeah, there's specific things that youcan notice, but as a designer, you looking
at stuff every day, I can kind of pickup on things like that pretty quickly.
Is Madison Avenue in New YorkCity, the design teams that are

(01:37):
working there, are they using Canva?
I don't think so.
Why?
As a experienced designer?
Mm-hmm.
Well, you know what, I'll pullit back a bit because Canva,
like it has its pros and cons.
Mm-hmm.
And one of the big things thatit does really well is templates.
So if you, even as a experienceddesigner, if you're looking to

(01:58):
do something kind of quick, yeah.
I might go to Canva.
Mm-hmm.
And it's good to go.
But my hunch is those designers onMadison Avenue, the professionals
and professionals likeyourself would rather do that.
Oi the organic intelligence.
Yeah.
The, I'm going to make this whatit needs to be with a human touch.
And, and the people that see mywork are gonna see the difference

(02:20):
compared to what they'd see ifthey were looking at it via Canva.
Right?
And that all depends on the project.
Sometimes it depends on the client,it depends on the scope of work.
Again, something quick and easy.
Need it done five, 10 minutes,you might go to Canva.
What's going to happenover time with Canva?
Is it going to get better to the pointwhere it will not be recognized as the

(02:44):
tool that will get the job done andpeople will maybe migrate toward or more
embrace professional graphic design work.
I think Canva will stick around is goodenough where people who don't have that
design experience can produce work.
But there's always gonna bea need for graphic designers.
Particular, you know, startinga project from a blank canvas,

(03:07):
putting a special touch on it.
More attention to detail thatclient on designer relationship.
Yeah, it's, it's, it'sgonna be more hands on.
You have been listening tothe Briefcase from Sutherland.
Weston Marketing Communications.
Got a question for theSutherland Weston team.
Email us @sutherlandweston.com.