Finding Inspiration on Canva

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you'll be able to:

• Navigate Canva's template library to find designs that work for your projects
• Spot trending designs and use them in your own work
• Customise templates to match your brand or personal style
• Save time by using Canva's inspiration features effectively

Introduction

Getting stuck for ideas happens to everyone. You know what you want to create, but you're staring at a blank canvas with no clue where to start. This is where Canva's inspiration features come in handy.

Canva has thousands of templates and design ideas waiting for you to discover them. The trick is knowing where to look and how to make them work for your specific needs. This chapter shows you exactly how to find inspiration quickly and turn it into designs that feel like your own.

Lessons

Finding Templates That Actually Work

Canva's template library is huge, which can feel overwhelming. Here's how to cut through the noise:

Step 1: Start with the right search terms

• Type specific keywords like "Instagram story sale" instead of just "Instagram"
• Use descriptive words like "minimal", "bold", or "vintage" to narrow down styles
• Search by occasion: "Christmas", "back to school", "Valentine's Day"

Step 2: Use the filters to save time

• Click the filter icon next to the search bar
• Choose your preferred colours, themes, or styles
• Filter by free vs premium content if you're on a budget

Step 3: Look at related templates

• When you find one you like, scroll down to see "More like this"
• Check out templates from the same designer for consistent styles

The templates update regularly, so bookmark designs you like for later use.

Spotting What's Trending

Staying current with design trends helps your work look fresh and professional.

Step 1: Check the trending section

• Look for "Trending" on your Canva homepage
• Browse by category (social media, presentations, marketing materials)
• Pay attention to colour schemes and layout styles that appear frequently

Step 2: Follow seasonal trends

• Canva promotes seasonal designs on the homepage
• Check back monthly for new holiday and seasonal inspiration
• Note which styles work across different seasons

Step 3: Watch for design patterns

• Notice recurring elements like specific fonts, colours, or layouts
• Save examples of trends you want to try later
• Mix trending elements with your own style

Making Templates Your Own

A good template is just the starting point. Here's how to customise it properly:

Step 1: Match your brand colours

• Replace template colours with your brand palette
• Use the colour picker tool to match existing brand materials
• Keep one or two template colours if they work with your brand

Step 2: Update fonts thoughtfully

• Change the main heading font first
• Keep body text readable – not every font needs to be decorative
• Stick to two font families maximum

Step 3: Replace images strategically

• Use high-quality images that match the template's style
• Keep the same image proportions for best results
• Make sure your images have similar lighting and colour tones

Step 4: Adjust the layout if needed

• Move elements around to highlight your most important information
• Delete unnecessary elements that don't serve your message
• Add your own graphics or icons if they improve the design

Using Canva's Style Features

Canva's style suggestions can speed up your design process:

The Styles panel shows you different colour and font combinations for your chosen template. Click through several options to see what works best with your content.

Brand Kit (Pro accounts only) lets you save your brand colours, fonts, and logos. Once set up, you can apply your brand to any template with one click.

Magic Resize (Pro accounts only) adapts your design to different formats automatically. Create one design and resize it for Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and more.

Practice

Pick a template from a category you use regularly (social media posts, presentations, or marketing materials). Customise it using these steps:

1. Change the colours to match a brand or style you like
2. Replace the text with your own content
3. Swap out at least one image
4. Adjust the layout to better suit your message
5. Save your customised version

Try this with three different templates to see how much you can transform the original designs.

FAQs

How often does Canva add new templates?
Canva adds new templates weekly, with bigger updates around holidays and trending events.

Do I need Canva Pro to access all templates?
No, but Pro templates often have more sophisticated designs and better image quality. Free templates work perfectly well for most projects.

Can I suggest new template ideas to Canva?
Canva doesn't have a direct request feature, but they monitor user feedback and design trends to guide new template creation.

Why do some templates look different when I try to edit them?
This usually happens with Pro templates when you're on a free account. Some elements get replaced with free alternatives.

Jargon Buster

Brand Kit: A Pro feature that stores your brand colours, fonts, and logos for easy access across all designs.

Magic Resize: A Pro tool that automatically adapts your design to different dimensions and formats.

Premium Elements: Design elements, photos, or templates that require a Pro subscription to download.

Template Library: Canva's collection of pre-designed layouts that you can customise for your own projects.

Wrap-up

Finding inspiration on Canva gets easier with practice. Start by exploring templates in categories you use most often, then branch out to see what catches your eye. Remember, the best templates are ones you can easily customise to match your needs.

The key is not to copy designs exactly, but to use them as starting points for your own creativity. Mix elements from different templates, adapt trending styles to your brand, and don't be afraid to delete parts that don't work for you.

Next, you'll learn how to create your own templates and design systems, so you can build on the inspiration techniques you've learned here.

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