Canva might seem like an easy solution for creating quick graphics, but for professional designers like us at TPD Creative, it falls short in many areas. While it’s a handy tool for simple projects, it presents serious limitations that make it unsuitable for high-quality, professional design work. Here’s why we don’t use Canva, and why you should reconsider using it for your brand.
You’re Not Fooling Anyone
Canva’s templates are repetitive and easy to recognise. Anyone familiar with design can quickly spot a templated Canva creation, and using such a common tool can make your brand blend in with the crowd. For businesses looking to stand out, relying on these cookie-cutter templates can hurt more than it helps. At TPD Creative, we focus on creating unique, custom designs that truly reflect your brand’s personality—something that Canva just can’t provide.
Limitations Abound
While Canva offers a variety of tools, it’s incredibly limiting when it comes to essential design elements like fonts, styles, and aspect ratios. One of the biggest drawbacks is that your logo won’t be vector-based, meaning it could become pixelated when enlarged, which is a huge issue if you plan to use your logo on various platforms, from social media to print. High-quality design requires flexibility, and Canva’s limitations can prevent your brand from reaching its full potential.
Everything is Borrowed
A lesser-known misconception about Canva is that anything you create on the platform becomes Canva’s property. This is not the case. However, it’s important for businesses to understand the licensing agreements around Canva’s design elements. When creating designs for your brand, it’s essential that you retain full ownership of your original content. Relying heavily on third-party assets, like those provided by Canva, may limit control over the unique aspects of your brand’s identity, so understanding their usage rights is crucial.
Lack of Unique Assets
Creativity thrives on originality, but Canva restricts you to a limited selection of stock assets, meaning many businesses end up with designs that look similar. In a world where standing out is key to success, this lack of unique assets is a major drawback. The ability to create something truly original is fundamental to good design, and Canva’s constraints make it difficult for brands to differentiate themselves from others.
Alignment Issues
Alignment is a fundamental design principle, yet Canva’s tools can sometimes make it challenging to achieve precise alignment of elements. Poor alignment can make a design appear unprofessional and unbalanced, potentially undermining your brand’s credibility. At TPD Creative, we recognise that every detail matters, and while Canva offers basic alignment tools, its limitations can lead to frustration and less-than-ideal results for more refined designs.
But We Get It…
We know that Canva has its positives, particularly for people looking to create simple artwork quickly. For small, one-off projects or someone trying to DIY a birthday card or flyer, it’s easy and accessible.
However, for an established brand, the more you put into your designs, the more you get out of them. Branding is a worthwhile investment that can set your business apart in a crowded market. At the end of the day, tools like Canva simply don’t allow for the level of uniqueness and professionalism required to build a strong, recognisable brand.
Yes, experienced graphic designers can produce great work using Canva. But let’s be honest, if you’re truly experienced, you’d probably choose the right software for the job—something that gives you full control and flexibility. After all, when it comes to your brand, quality and originality should never be sacrificed for convenience.
Canva boasts 15 billion “designs” created using its limitations. That’s an impressive number, but it also means there are potentially millions of pieces of artwork out there that look strikingly similar to your company’s. Ask yourself this: Do you want your brand to blend in with the crowd, or do you want it to stand out and be memorable?
We understand if this sounds like the bitter musings of professional designers throwing a strop. But really, we’re here to educate and highlight the drawbacks of using a platform like Canva for serious business. It’s not just about design snobbery—it’s about ensuring you get the best results for your brand.
We’re not saying Canva is the new Word clip-art, but let’s be real, it’s getting close.
In conclusion, while Canva might seem like a quick fix, it’s not a substitute for the real work that goes into professional design. It’s limiting, lacks ownership of assets, and ultimately restricts creativity. At TPD Creative, we believe that design is about more than just throwing elements together—it’s about crafting a unique visual identity that communicates who you are.
