I did it on Canva!
I didn’t really know how to approach the subject of Canva without sounding defensive, after all, it does appear to be a very cheap version of someone like me - a graphic designer.
Don’t get me wrong, for many in the not-for-profit space, a tool like this will be a godsend. Being able to produce professional looking materials cheaply means more money to spend on actual charitable activities right?
Well kind of.
To understand the limitations of online design tools, we need to understand what the heck a graphic designer does anyway.
First of all, they DO NOT ‘just make something look pretty’. A designer will:
create something completely bespoke and fit for purpose
create a look and feel that drives authority and trust in your charity/business/organisation while reflecting its personality
create materials and tools that effectively deliver and reinforce your key messaging
give your charity/business/organisation an original identity that people can relate to
They are able to do that by:
researching your target market (their age, gender, location, preferences, likes and dislikes) to understand what resonates with them
researching your competitors to make sure your brand stands out from the crowd
understanding what is important to your brand/organisation/charity to make sure the design of any materials represents that
asking, repeatedly “What problem am I solving?”
making sure the look and feel of your brand is used consistently across all materials
making something that is solution-focussed rather than trend-led