Canva is a tool. Design is the thinking.

There was probably a time when saying “I use Canva” as a graphic designer would have felt a little bit like admitting defeat. I don’t think this is the case anymore.

I actually use Canva for various projects, and I’m completely fine with that.

The reason is pretty simple. Canva is a tool. Just like I learnt to use Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign when I was starting out, I feel it’s good to keep progressing and continuing to learn new tools. As designers, we’ve always had to adapt to new tools and new ways of working, so why has Canva been viewed as being different?

Well, the difference is that Canva has made design much more accessible. Pretty much anyone can open it up, choose a template and create something that looks reasonably good in a matter of minutes. And as designers, we are perfectionists, and the thought of someone taking the reins of design work (and potentially not doing it as much justice) makes us reluctant.

With businesses now having the means to create things themselves. They can make a quick social post, update presentations or create a simple bit of marketing without needing to send every single little job to a designer.

But there is a difference between being able to use a design tool and being a designer.

And that distinction is something I think is really important.

Increasingly, I’m finding that clients are asking for their brand assets to be supplied in Canva. They want templates they can edit themselves. They want social media graphics they can update. They want to be able to change a date, add some new information or create a post without having to come back to me every time.

And why wouldn’t they?

If I have created a brand for a client, I don’t want it to sit neatly inside a brand guidelines PDF while they struggle to actually use it. I want them to feel confident using it. Otherwise, what’s the point?

So I’ve had to adapt. And actually, I think that is part of being a designer.

Design has never stood still. The tools we use have changed constantly. When I started out, the way we worked looked very different to how it does now. We have gone from print to digital, from desktop publishing to websites, from static graphics to social media, and now we are working alongside AI and tools like Canva.

The job is not to cling to the tools we have always used. It is to understand design well enough to know which tool is right for the job.

For me, Canva is brilliant when it comes to creating flexible, editable brand assets. I can build a set of templates that have already considered the typography, colours, layout, spacing and overall visual style. The client can then take those templates and use them themselves.

That is actually quite powerful. Because the design thinking has already happened. Canva hasn’t decided what their brand should look like. I have. Canva is just giving them the ability to actually use their brand.

It has not worked out how their brand should communicate, what their visual hierarchy should be or which elements should become recognisable brand assets. That is the bit that comes from experience. And that is why I don’t think Canva is replacing designers. It’s just changing what clients need from us as a finished project.

There are some things I would happily create in Canva and there are plenty of things I wouldn’t. If I am developing a new visual identity, exploring typography, working on packaging, creating detailed artwork or solving a complex design problem, I’m still reaching for the tools that give me the control I need. But if a client needs a social media template they can update themselves tomorrow morning, Canva might actually be the better solution.

Good design is not about making sure the client always needs you. It is about giving them the right tools to use their brand confidently. Sometimes that means handing over an Illustrator file, creating a beautifully designed Canva template or even becoming a mentor in how to use the assets.

It also means standing up at times and telling them that Canva probably isn't the right tool for what they are trying to do. Because Canva can give you the fonts, the colours, the templates and the tools. But it can't give you good judgement. It can't tell you why one typeface works better than another. It can't necessarily tell you when your layout is too busy or why something doesn't quite feel right. And it certainly can't replace the years of experience that go into understanding how a brand should look, feel and communicate.

That is where the designer still comes in.

So yes, I’m a graphic designer and I use Canva. And I think that is absolutely fine.

Actually, I think being willing to embrace tools like Canva is part of being a modern designer. Our role is changing, just as it always has. The important thing is that we change with it without losing sight of what makes good design good in the first place.

Because ultimately, Canva is just the tool. The thinking is still the design.