Canva Spells Creativity!

If you can think of it, you can create it with Canva! Teachers are always asking me for a web based alternative for Microsoft Publisher. Canva is great because within one tool you can create a variety of design options that include brochures, flyers, posters, cards, social media posts, memes, presentations, infographics and so much more. Canva is easy to use and has lots of built in features that make the designing process a snap.

You can login with your Google or Facebook account, or you can create a Canva account with an email address. You then get to choose from one of the many design options, as well as, a snazzy layout. If you prefer to start from scratch, don't choose anything and start with a blank page.

The toolbar, located to the left of your project, allows you to change your layout, search from over a million images, add elements, text, backgrounds and upload your own photos. Elements are design options that include photo grids, frames, charts, shapes, lines, illustrations and icons (see image to the right).  All added content can be easily moved, resized, formatted, layered, duplicated and deleted.  Adding hyperlinks is also a feature if sharing your finished product online. 

Your finished project can be downloaded for print as a PDF or image file. It can be shared online via Twitter or Facebook, or through a link that you could add to your website or email to viewers. If you need some design inspiration, you can view what other Canva users have created.  Click HERE to get a glimpse of the gallery.   

I have used Canva for a variety of projects that  included brochures, invitations, and posters. For a free tool, I was impressed with the professional look I was able to achieve without a huge learning curve. Students who have used it, picked it up with ease and enjoyed designing infographics, posters, and presentations as a way to demonstrate their knowledge while being creative at the same time.  If you have questions, you can easily search for a particular topic using their "Need Help?" feature.  YouTube has a nice selection of Canva tutorials.  Below is a good one from TeachersTech:

Poster created for Hat Day Fundraiser!

Interactive Food Research Posters for #FACS