Canva Design Basics: Using the Elements Panel

Learning Objectives

• Navigate and use the Elements Panel in Canva effectively
• Customise shapes, lines, and icons to enhance your designs
• Apply elements strategically to create professional-looking graphics

Introduction

The Elements Panel is your design toolkit in Canva. It's where you'll find shapes, lines, icons, and decorative elements that can transform a basic design into something that catches the eye. This chapter shows you how to use these elements effectively, from finding what you need to customising them for your specific project. You'll learn the practical skills to make your designs stand out without overdoing it.

Lessons

Finding Your Way Around the Elements Panel

The Elements Panel sits on the left side of your Canva workspace. Here's how to use it:

1. Click the 'Elements' tab in the left sidebar
2. Browse through the categories or use the search bar at the top
3. Click any element to add it straight to your canvas
4. Drag the element to position it where you want it

The search function is your best friend here. Type 'arrow' if you need directional elements, or 'circle' for rounded shapes. It's much faster than scrolling through everything.

Customising Shapes and Icons

Once you've added an element to your canvas, you can change how it looks:

1. Click on the element to select it
2. Use the toolbar that appears to change colours, size, and transparency
3. Drag the corner handles to resize (hold Shift to keep proportions)
4. Use the rotation handle to angle your element

The colour picker lets you match your brand colours or choose from Canva's suggested palettes. For transparency, drag the slider until you get the effect you want – this works well for background elements that shouldn't compete with your text.

Working with Lines and Decorative Elements

Lines help guide the viewer's eye and separate different sections of your design. Here's how to use them well:

1. Search for 'lines' in the Elements Panel
2. Choose from straight lines, curved lines, or decorative dividers
3. Adjust the length by dragging the end points
4. Change the thickness using the line weight option in the toolbar

Don't go overboard with decorative elements. One or two well-placed lines or accents usually work better than cramming in lots of different shapes.

Layering Elements Effectively

Getting your elements in the right order matters. Canva lets you control which elements appear in front of others:

1. Right-click on any element
2. Choose 'Forward' to bring it closer to the front
3. Choose 'Backward' to push it behind other elements
4. Use 'To front' or 'To back' to move elements all the way forward or backward

This is particularly useful when you're combining text with shapes or creating layered effects.

Practice

Create a simple social media post using these elements from the Elements Panel:

• One shape as a background element
• One line to separate sections
• One icon that relates to your topic

Focus on making each element serve a purpose rather than just filling space. Adjust the colours so everything works together, and make sure your text is still easy to read.

FAQs

Can I search for specific types of elements?
Yes, use the search bar in the Elements Panel. Try keywords like 'arrow', 'star', 'geometric', or 'floral' to find what you need quickly.

Why can't I change some elements?
Some elements are only available with Canva Pro. You'll see a crown icon on premium elements. The free version still gives you plenty of options though.

How do I reuse customised elements in other designs?
Copy your customised element (Ctrl+C), then paste it (Ctrl+V) into your new design. You can also save designs as templates to reuse whole layouts.

What if I accidentally delete an element?
Use Ctrl+Z to undo your last action. Canva keeps track of your changes, so you can undo several steps if needed.

Jargon Buster

Elements Panel – The section in Canva's left sidebar containing shapes, lines, icons, and decorative elements you can add to your designs.

Layering – Controlling which design elements appear in front of or behind others on your canvas.

Transparency – How see-through an element appears, useful for creating subtle background effects or overlays.

Line Weight – The thickness of lines and borders, measured in pixels.

Wrap-up

You now know how to find, add, and customise elements in Canva's Elements Panel. The key is using these tools with purpose – each element should either help communicate your message or make your design easier to read and understand. Start with simple combinations and build your confidence from there. Next, you'll learn how to work with text and typography to complete your design skills.

Ready to put these skills into practice? Join our community at https://www.pixelhaze.academy/membership