What happened at Canva Create the Future is Visual Event 2022

If you didn’t know already, September 14, 2022 was a big day for Canva. They held their Create the Future is Visual Event and it was a huge success! Here’s a recap of everything that went back in 2022. Hop over our article on the Brand New Era Event 2023 if you’re looking to read about the most recent Canva Create event.

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    Canva Create – the Future is Visual Event

    The Canva Create the Future is Visual Event was held on September 14, 2022. Hosted by Canva, the Sydney-based design platform, the live-streamed event drew over 1,000 attendees, including many of Canva’s top customers and partners.

    Canva founder and CEO Melanie Perkins gave the keynote, speaking about the power of visual content and the company’s mission to empower people to design anything and everything. She was joined by members of Canva’s product and engineering teams, who walked through new features in the works, plus representatives from Google, Facebook, and Pinterest.

    The company announced a set of new products that would round out the suite: Canva Docs, Canva Website, and Data Visualization, the latter built on Canva’s 2021 acquisition of Flourish. All three shipped in the months that followed and remain part of Canva’s toolkit today.

    Canva also announced it would launch a developer API in beta, enabling developers to integrate with the software more easily, a beta that grew into today’s full Canva Developers Platform, including Connect APIs and the Canva Apps SDK. Plus, they’re launching a “creator program” where qualified designers can upload templates, photos & designs and sell them directly to Canva users. Payouts to creators will vary depending on the product: an ultra-technical video template, for example, will earn more than a simple stock photo. More to come on this.

    Some tools are already familiar to Canva users, like videos and presentations, and they’re getting new features too. It is now possible to create videos using the new transitions and background remover that was previously popular in still images.

    Slideshows have added features like animated graphics and the ability to integrate with video editing tools. Soon you can turn a slideshow into a video with just one click. You can also import PowerPoint, PDF, Illustrator and Photoshop files, and they stay editable within Canva.

    Finally, when presenting, the user can record themselves in real-time and sync their smartphone to Canva to control the presentation themselves, like a remote control.

    Panel Discussions and Breakout Sessions

    The keynote was followed by a panel discussion with some of the world’s leading design thinkers, including IDEO CEO Tim Brown and Pentagram partner Michael Bierut.

    The event also featured a range of workshops and breakout sessions on topics such as branding, user experience, and motion graphics. Attendees also had the opportunity to meet with Canva’s design team and get feedback on their own designs.

    Flat vector illustration of a hand using a magic wand to transform a shape on a screen, representing Canva's Magic Design tools.

    Canva Create the Future is Visual Event – Highlights

    • Keynote speeches from Canva CEO Melanie Perkins and president Cliff Rosenberg
    • A panel discussion with influential designers from around the world
    • A workshop on design thinking led by COO Cameron Adams
    • An exhibition of Canva’s newest products and features

    Overall, the event was a huge success and it left attendees feeling inspired and motivated to create change in the world through visual communication.

    Canva Whiteboards

    The Canva Whiteboards were a hit for the event goers. They were able to provide people with a unique way to take notes and record ideas during the event. Several attendees said they would be using the whiteboards in their own business.

    Canva Websites

    Canva website is a completely innovative new idea. They allow for you to design a multi-page site, host it on their own servers or send it to a custom domain. We decided to try it out and here is the one we published in under 10 minutes.

    Canva Docs

    Canva Docs is a new way to easily create and edit documents using Canva’s online editing tools. You can create docs from scratch or start with a template, then add text, images, and other elements to design your document. Documents you create in Canva Docs are automatically saved in your Canva account so you can access them anytime, anywhere. Watch out Google!

    Canva Create the Future is Visual Event – Videos

    The event brought top industry professionals to inspire the next generation of creatives through talks and workshops.

    There were various breakout sessions held throughout the day, with each session having a different focus. There was something for everyone, whether you’re a seasoned professional or just getting started in your career.

    Some of the topics covered included:

    • The power of design and how it can be used to make a difference in the world
    • The importance of storytelling in visual media
    • How to get your start in the industry and make your mark as a creative professional
    • Tips and tricks for using Canva to create stunning visuals
    Two professionals reviewing digital marketing campaign materials and sketches on a table in a modern brick office space

    Final Word.

    There are so many great takeaways from this event, and that isn’t even getting into the massive new benefits for non-profits and educational users. Non-profits now get 50 users on their team (previously 10) and Canva pro is free for ALL educational institutes. Wild.