Canva Basic Course for Beginners

TARGET AUDIENCE:

Beginners with little to no experience with Canva and graphic design or photo editing software.

OBJECTIVES:

Equip beginners with the skills to confidently use Canva, including its latest features for creating professional visuals, presentations, and data-driven content.

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

• Navigate the Canva interface confidently.
• Create various types of designs using Canva's tools and features (presentations, print & web designs, photo editing, video editing, writing, etc.)
• Use templates effectively to speed up the design process.
• Understand basic design principles and apply them in Canva.
• Collaborate and share designs with others.

DURATION AND METHODOLOGY:

12 hours - in person in Trieste or online. Individual student-centred lessons full of examples and practical exercises, flexibility and customisation.

CONTENTS:

Getting Started with Canva

Objectives:

• Understand what Canva is and its uses.
• Understand the Canva interface and dashboard
• Set up an account and navigate projects and folders
• Explore the new Visual Suite 2.0 overview

Contents:

• Introduction to Canva
• What is Canva?
• Uses of Canva (graphic design, photo editing, text, image and audio generation, video edting...)
• Creating a Canva Account
• Signing up for Canva
• Overview of Canva plans (Free vs. Pro)
• Navigating the Canva Interface
• Dashboard overview, projects and folders
• Understanding the toolbar and sidebar
• Exploring the home screen and templates
• Introduction to Visual Suite 2.0 features
• Customizing profile and workspace settings

Templates

Objectives:

• Use and customize templates for different platforms

Contents:

• Finding and editing templates
• Adding logos, fonts, and colors

Design Principles

Objectives:

• Understand basic design principles.
• Apply design principles to create effective designs.

Contents:

• Introduction to Design Principles
• Balance and alignment
• Contrast and hierarchy
• Repetition and consistency
• Applying Design Principles in Canva
• Creating balanced layouts
• Using contrast effectively
• Maintaining consistency in designs

Basic Design Tools

Objectives:

• Learn to use basic design tools in Canva.
• Create simple designs using text, shapes, and images.
• Use text, images, shapes, icons, and backgrounds
• Apply basic customization techniques

Contents:

• Creating a New Design
• Choosing a template
• Customizing dimensions
• Adding and Editing Text
• Text tools and fonts
• Text effects and styling
• Adding and editing text, images, and elements
• Adjusting colors, fonts, and sizes
• Working with transparency, grouping, and locking objects
• Working with Shapes and Icons
• Adding shapes and icons
• Customizing shapes and icons
• Adding and Editing Images
• Uploading images
• Using Canva's stock images
• Basic image editing (crop, filter, adjust)

Using Templates

Objectives:

• Understand the importance of templates.
• Customize templates to create professional designs.

Contents:

• Exploring Canva Templates
• Types of templates (social media, presentations, posters, videos etc.)
• Searching and selecting templates
• Customizing Templates
• Editing text and images in templates
• Changing colors and fonts
• Saving and exporting customized templates

Tecniche di design avanzate

Objectives:

• Learn advanced design techniques.
• Create more complex and visually appealing designs.

Contents:

• Working with Layers
• Understanding layers
• Arranging and grouping elements
• Using Backgrounds and Grids
• Adding and customizing backgrounds
• Using grids and frames
• Advanced Image Editing
• Removing backgrounds
• Using filters and effects
• Adding and Editing Videos
• Uploading and editing videos
• Adding text and effects to videos

Animation and Interactive Features

Objectives:

• Add animations and transitions
• Use interactive elements and clickable links

Contents:

• Creating animations and custom transitions
• Adding clickable links to designs
• Exploring new multi-page and multi-format designs in a single project
• Using page-specific links and new interactive features

Data Visualization with Canva Sheets

Objectives:

• Create and manage data-driven visuals
• Use Canva Sheets for charts and image-based data

Contents:

• Introduction to Canva Sheets
• Creating and editing spreadsheets within Canva
• Adding AI-powered charts and image tools
• Importing and exporting data

AI and Automation Tools

Objectives:

• Utilize AI features for design and content creation
• Automate repetitive tasks

Contents:

• Using ‘Design for Me’ and Canva’s ChatGPT-style assistant
• Magic Write for content editing
• AI-powered photo and video editing
• Voiceover recording tool

Video and Photo Editing

Objectives:

• Edit and enhance videos and photos
• Use new video and photo editing tools

Contents:

• Editing videos for social media, and more
• Using new video editing updates (multi-size, transitions)
• Photo editor with background generator and perspective correction

Canva Code and Interactive Content

Objectives:

• Create interactive widgets and simple apps without coding
• Understand basic Canva Code features

Contents:

• Introduction to Canva Code tool
• Creating widgets, games, and simple apps
• Embedding interactive content in designs

Saving, Collaboration and Sharing

Objectives:

• Save and organize projects
• Learn to collaborate with others on Canva.
• Share and export designs.

Contents:

• Saving, organizing, and managing projects
• Collaborating on Canva
• Inviting team members
• Commenting and feedback
• Sharing and Exporting Designs
• Sharing designs via link or email
• Exporting designs in different formats (PNG, JPEG, PDF, etc.) for print, web, and social media
• Printing designs

Practical Projects and Recap

Objectives:

• Apply learned skills to real-world projects
• Review and consolidate knowledge

Contents:

• Creating a social media post, presentation, infographic, and video using new features
• Course recap and Q&A

• Project 1: Social Media Post
• Creating a social media post using templates and custom elements
• Project 2: Presentation
• Designing a presentation with slides and visuals
• Project 3: Poster
• Creating a poster with text, images, and shapes
• Feedback and Improvement
• Reviewing and improving designs based on feedback