Canva is an excellent design tool for any and all creative projects. Whether you need to create a blog title, Twitter header, resume, presentation template, or Venn diagram, they have it all–and it’s free!
Merely go to the website, create an account, find a template you like or choose a generic layout, and start designing. They even offer excellent video tutorials on the basics of design which I plan on introducing to my students as best practice for presentations in my class and beyond. Once you’re finished, you can save and download your projects or instantly send them out using your social media of choice.
Canva offers a great selection of their own images to use, but I also enjoy uploading the attribution-free, high-quality photographs and graphics from Unsplash and Pixabay.
I’ve used it quite a bit for projects large and small with the latest being summer reading reminders to my students using Remind.com.
Here’s to adding a touch of panache to each of your projects this year! Happy creating!
naomijaynes.com 
Hi Naomi! I love canva. I’m using it for my first day of school activity for my students. We went 1:1 last year, so I feel comfortable having my kids use their devices to create an infographic (using canva) that tells me about them. I find infographics to be super attractive and informative, and many of my students also find that they enjoy making them as an alternative to a powerpoint or poster. Canva allows you to customize based on your level of skill (I usually use the pre-made images and such, but my students love making it from scratch!), which is really helpful to differentiate for each learner and their ability.
What a great way to get to know your students, Kristin! The infographic templates, among others, are truly amazing. The finished products are, indeed, “attractive and informative” and can be completed quite quickly. Truly, a great tool! Thanks for your comment!
I LOVE Canva. It has been great in adding some flair to my classroom decor, social media posts, and graduate coursework projects. I also like that students can easily create graphics for a quick visual class activity. It is a great alternative to the packaged images on slide software.
Canva is truly a remarkable product, Angela! Whether creating designs on your computer or phone, the process is fast and the results are impressive. Their fan club is growing! Thanks for your comment!
Hi Naomi,
I was just on Canva last week creating a new resume from scratch! After hours of nit-picking, I finally had a finished product and it turned out great. I realize they had some very nice templates but I wanted to make mine unique and I was able to do pretty much whatever I wanted using their creative tools. I guess email and Twitter headers are in my not so distant future!
I can imagine that your resume will make quite a visual impact thanks to Canva, Ryan! I like that they’ve provided so many personalization options to ensure a polished finished product no matter the project. Happy job hunting!
I discovered Canva last summer and I’ve been addicted ever since. I’ve had students make social media images on there then I had a student come a show me a presentation she made on there that the principal saw and super impressed. I didn’t even realize you could do that. Its my go-to when making images!
What a great idea to ask students to create social media images, Kaitlin, as so much higher-order thinking can go into the process. Canva truly creates designers of us all. Thanks for your comment!
Thank you for your post! I am always looking for creative tools and this one looks awesome! I am going to visit the site now and get creating. Thank you for the suggestions.
You’re going to be amazed by the ease of use, Jake, and the speed at which you can create polished, professional designs in a snap. Happy creating!
This looks awesome! Is it easier than photoshop? I love the idea of being able to use my own graphics on my blog so I don’t have to worry about copyright issues. Thanks for this!
Canva is quicker and less complex than Photoshop. Both produce excellent results, but Canva has so many templates to personalize that it’s always my first choice for product design. Thanks for your comment, Ryann!
Thank you so much for sharing! I have never used Canva, but it sounds like something I would love. I am really excited to give it a try!
It truly is a great tool, Brittni, due to its ease of use and the professional results. Have fun creating!