OpenCourser brand icon
Sign in
We may earn an affiliate commission when you visit our partners.

Canva Design Essentials

Daniel Walter Scott

Welcome to the Canva Design Essentials course. Led by professional designer Dan Scott, this course is your gateway to mastering Canva and building a strong foundation in design principles. Whether you’re new to design or looking to sharpen your skills, you’ll learn how to create impactful, real-world designs with ease.

With 17 years of professional design experience and multiple teaching awards, Dan has taught over a million students worldwide. His hands-on approach and industry insights make learning engaging and accessible, empowering you to reach your creative potential.

You’ll learn:

Read more

Welcome to the Canva Design Essentials course. Led by professional designer Dan Scott, this course is your gateway to mastering Canva and building a strong foundation in design principles. Whether you’re new to design or looking to sharpen your skills, you’ll learn how to create impactful, real-world designs with ease.

With 17 years of professional design experience and multiple teaching awards, Dan has taught over a million students worldwide. His hands-on approach and industry insights make learning engaging and accessible, empowering you to reach your creative potential.

You’ll learn:

  • Design Fundamentals

  • Social Media & Marketing Graphics

  • Logo Design & Branding

  • Create Professional Documents & Presentations

  • Learn how to Edit Video

  • Canva’s AI Features

This course is ideal for beginners in Canva and design, whether you’re a teacher, student, small business owner, or aspiring designer. With step-by-step instructions, you’ll gain confidence in creating visuals that communicate effectively and look professional.

Take the first step toward becoming a Canva Hero—sign up now to transform your design skills.

Requirements:

  • All you need is a free Canva account. You can get a free trial from Canva here to get started.

Who this course is for:

  • Absolutely no previous Canva experience is required.

  • This course is designed for newcomers to Canva and design in general, so no prior design experience is necessary.

  • This is a relaxed, well-paced introduction, perfect for producing a wide range of projects. Only basic computer skills are necessary - if you can send emails and surf the internet, you're more than capable of mastering this course.

What you'll learn:

  • Creating Designs in Canva

  • Working with Free & Paid Images in Canva

  • How to Crop Photos in Canva

  • How to Crop with Frames in Canva

  • How to Name Your Canva Documents Right

  • Uploading Your Own Images into Canva

  • Where to Get Free Photos for Canva

  • Understanding Workspaces

  • Squares, Circles + Layers & Position

  • How to Export a JPG & PNG from Canva

  • Mixing Colors in Canva

  • Design Styles & Color Palettes in Canva

  • Working with Text & Fonts in Canva

  • Adding Drop Shadows to Text in Canva

  • Curving Text Around a Badge

  • Group, Lock & Aligning Elements in Canva

  • Creating Dotted & Arrowed Lines with Text

  • Modifying Shapes in Canva

  • Changing Color of Graphics & Collections

  • Editing the Background Remover Tool

  • AI Image Generator with Magic Media in Canva

  • Mockups in Canva

  • Testing & Posting on Your Phone for Instagram

  • Editing Canva Designs on Your Phone

  • Using Canva Template Logos

  • MoodBoard WhiteBoard Brainstorm

  • Using Markup Tools, Stickies, Comments & Sharing

  • Logo Competitor Analysis in Canva

  • Designing a Custom Logo in Canva

  • Picking Fonts for Your Logo

  • Choosing Logo Colors

  • Using Gradients in Canva

  • Understanding Brand Kits

  • Light, Dark & Stacked Versions of Your Logo

  • Working with a Word Style Doc in Canva

  • Font Combinations & Pairing in Canva

  • Changing Text Styles in Canva

  • Styling Tables in Canva

  • Designing Header Banners in Canva Docs

  • Using Highlight Blocks, Dividers & Quotes in Canva Docs

  • Presentation Templates & Styles in Canva

  • Using Layouts in Presentations in Canva

  • Page Transitions in Presentations

  • Animating Pages & Page Elements

  • Creating Charts in Canva

  • Adding QR Codes in Canva

  • Adjusting Images in Canva

  • Darkening Images for Text Overlays

  • Using Magic Eraser in Canva

  • Magic Edit in Canva

  • Magic Expand in Canva

  • Trimming Video in Canva

  • Applying Video Filters & Adjustments

  • Animating Text & Changing Timing in Canva

  • Changing Stickers & Adding Motion Effects

  • Animating Photos in Canva

  • Finding Free Videos for Canva

  • Exporting Video for Social Media in Canva

Enroll now

What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Creating designs in canva
  • Working with free & paid images in canva
  • Design fundamentals
  • How to crop photos in canva
  • How to crop with frames in canva
  • Canva’s ai features
  • How to name your canva documents right
  • Uploading your own images into canva
  • Where to get free photos for canva
  • Understanding workspaces
  • Squares, circles + layers & position
  • How to export a jpg & png from canva
  • Mixing colors in canva
  • Design styles & color palettes in canva
  • Working with text & fonts in canva
  • Adding drop shadows to text in canva
  • Curving text around a badge
  • Group, lock & aligning elements in canva
  • Creating dotted & arrowed lines with text
  • Modifying shapes in canva
  • Changing color of graphics & collections
  • Editing the background remover tool
  • Ai image generator with magic media in canva
  • Mockups in canva
  • Testing & posting on your phone for instagram
  • Editing canva designs on your phone
  • Using canva template logos
  • Moodboard whiteboard brainstorm
  • Using markup tools, stickies, comments & sharing
  • Logo competitor analysis in canva
  • Designing a custom logo in canva
  • Picking fonts for your logo
  • Choosing logo colors
  • Using gradients in canva
  • Understanding brand kits
  • Light, dark & stacked versions of your logo
  • Working with a word style doc in canva
  • Font combinations & pairing in canva
  • Changing text styles in canva
  • Styling tables in canva
  • Designing header banners in canva docs
  • Using highlight blocks, dividers & quotes in canva docs
  • Presentation templates & styles in canva
  • Using layouts in presentations in canva
  • Page transitions in presentations
  • Animating pages & page elements
  • Creating charts in canva
  • Adding qr codes in canva
  • Adjusting images in canva
  • Darkening images for text overlays
  • Using magic eraser in canva
  • Magic edit in canva
  • Magic expand in canva
  • Trimming video in canva
  • Applying video filters & adjustments
  • Animating text & changing timing in canva
  • Changing stickers & adding motion effects
  • Animating photos in canva
  • Finding free videos for canva
  • Exporting video for social media in canva
  • Social media & marketing graphics
  • Logo design & branding
  • Create professional documents & presentations
  • Learn how to edit video
  • Show more
  • Show less

Syllabus

Getting Started
Intro to the Canva Essentials Course
Getting Started with Canva
Your Canva Design Brief
Read more
Project 1 - Social Post Design
Creating Designs in Canva
Images & Photos Level 1
Working with free & paid Images in Canva
How to crop photos in Canva
How to crop with Frames in Canva
How to name you Canva documents right
Uploading your own images into Canva
Where to get Free photos for Canva
There are lots of Workspaces
Squares, Circles + Layers & Position
How to Export a JPG & PNG from Canva
Class Project 01 - Images & Shapes
Color - Level 1
How to mix your own colors in Canva
What are Design Styles & Color Palettes in Canva
Typography - Level 1
How to work with text & fonts in Canva
Class Project 02 - Reopening Quote
How to add drop shadows to text in Canva
How do you curve text around a badge
Graphic & Shapes
How to Group Lock & Aligning things in Canva
Dotted & Arrowed Lines with Text
How to modify shapes in Canva
How to add & change color of Graphics & Collections
Class Project 03 - Instagram Post
Font Combinations & Pairing in Canva
Magic Studio - Level 1
How to edit the Background Remover tool
Class Project 04 - Background Remover
Ai Image Generator with Magic Media in Canva
Class Project 05 - Ai Images
How to Change Text Styles in Canva
How to mockup in Canva
Class Project 06 - Instagram Mockup
Working with your Phone
Testing & Posting on your Phone for Instagram
Editing Canva Designs on your Phone
Project 2 - Logo Design
How to use Canva Template Logos
Class Project 07 - Template Logo
How to Style Tables in Canva
What is a MoodBoard WhiteBoard Brainstorm
Class Project 08 - Logo Moodboard
Markup Tools, Stickies, Comments & Sharing
How to Run Logo Competitor Analysis in Canva
Class Project 09 - Competitor Analysis
Design Header Banners in Canva Docs
Designing a Custom Logo in Canva
Class Project 10 - Combination Logo
How to Pick Fonts for Your Logo
Class Project 11 - Logo Fonts
Highlight Block & Dividers & Quotes in Canva Docs
Color - Level 2
How to Pick Logo Colors
Class Project 12 - Picking Your Logo
How to use Gradients in Canva
What is a brand kit
Light Dark & Stacked Versions of Your Logo
Class Project 13 - Branding
Class Project 14 - Proposal
Project 3 - Proposal Document
Working with a word style doc in Canva
Typography - Level 2
Project 4 - Presentation
Presentation Templates & Styles in Canva
Production Video - Creating & Adding Content
How to use Layouts in Presentations in Canva
Page Transitions in Presentations
Class Project 15 - Presentation
Animating Pages & Page Elements
How to Create Charts in Canva
How to add QR Code App in Canva
Class Project 16 - Presentation Polishing
Project 5 - Poster
How to Adjust Images in Canva
How to Darken Images for Text Over the Top
Magic Studio - Level 2
What is the Magic Eraser in Canva

Save this course

Save Canva Design Essentials to your list so you can find it easily later:
Save

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Canva Design Essentials with these activities:
Review Design Principles
Reinforce your understanding of fundamental design principles before diving into Canva's specific tools and features. This will help you make more informed design choices within Canva.
Browse courses on Design Principles
Show steps
  • Read articles or watch videos about design principles.
  • Identify examples of good and bad design.
  • Practice applying design principles to simple layouts.
Read 'The Non-Designer's Design Book'
Gain a strong understanding of design fundamentals to enhance your Canva skills. This book is a great resource for beginners.
View Presentation Book on Amazon
Show steps
  • Read the book cover to cover.
  • Take notes on key concepts.
  • Apply the principles to your Canva projects.
Recreate Existing Designs
Improve your Canva skills by replicating existing designs. This will help you understand how different elements work together and how to achieve specific visual effects.
Show steps
  • Find examples of well-designed social media posts, logos, or documents.
  • Recreate the designs in Canva, paying attention to detail.
  • Compare your recreations to the originals and identify areas for improvement.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Design a Social Media Campaign
Apply your Canva skills to create a cohesive social media campaign. This will help you practice using Canva's tools and features in a real-world context.
Show steps
  • Choose a topic or brand for your campaign.
  • Create a series of social media posts using Canva.
  • Schedule and publish your posts.
  • Analyze the results and make adjustments as needed.
Build a Personal Branding Kit
Solidify your understanding of branding by creating a personal branding kit in Canva. This will involve designing a logo, choosing colors and fonts, and creating templates for various marketing materials.
Show steps
  • Define your personal brand values and target audience.
  • Design a logo using Canva's logo maker.
  • Choose a color palette and font pairing that reflects your brand.
  • Create templates for social media posts, business cards, and other marketing materials.
Portfolio of Canva Designs
Showcase your Canva skills by creating a portfolio of your best designs. This will be a valuable asset for job applications or freelance work.
Show steps
  • Select your best Canva designs.
  • Organize your designs into a portfolio using Canva's presentation templates or a website builder.
  • Write descriptions for each design, highlighting your skills and the design process.
Read 'Logo Design Love'
Deepen your understanding of logo design principles to create more effective logos in Canva. This book provides practical advice and inspiration.
View Identity Designed on Amazon
Show steps
  • Read the book and take notes on key concepts.
  • Analyze successful logos and identify the design principles they employ.
  • Apply the principles to your own logo designs in Canva.

Career center

Learners who complete Canva Design Essentials will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Graphic designer
A Graphic Designer crafts visual concepts that communicate ideas and information, playing a crucial role in branding, marketing, and advertising. The Canva Design Essentials course empowers aspiring graphic designers to master design principles and create impactful visuals using Canva. With a focus on design fundamentals, logo design, and branding, the course helps build a portfolio showcasing diverse design skills. Learning how to work with images, colors, and typography in Canva can help Graphic Designers create stunning visuals for various platforms, as well as design professional documents and presentations. This course may be particularly useful for designing social media and marketing graphics.
See salaries and explore the career path for Graphic designer
Freelance Designer
Freelance Designers work independently, offering their design services to various clients on a project basis. The Canva Design Essentials course equips Freelance Designers with the tools and techniques to create professional-quality designs using Canva. Mastery of design fundamentals, logo design, and branding helps build a strong design foundation, while learning to create social media and marketing graphics lets one offer a wide range of services. Furthermore, the course helps develop skills in using Canva's AI features, helping automate design tasks and stay competitive in the freelance market.
See salaries and explore the career path for Freelance Designer
Social Media Manager
A Social Media Manager is responsible for developing and implementing social media strategies to increase brand awareness and engagement. The Canva Design Essentials course equips Social Media Managers with the skills to create visually compelling content for various social media platforms. With a focus on design fundamentals, image editing, and creating marketing graphics, one builds a strong foundation for social media design. The course's practical training on producing designs can help Social Media Managers to create engaging content using Canva.
See salaries and explore the career path for Social Media Manager
Digital Marketing Specialist
A Digital Marketing Specialist develops and implements digital marketing strategies to promote products and services. The Canva Design Essentials course empowers Digital Marketing Specialists to create visually appealing and effective marketing materials. With its focus on design fundamentals, social media graphics, and logo design, the course helps one develop the skills needed to create engaging digital content. Moreover, learning how to edit video and use Canva's AI features may enhance the visual appeal and impact of digital marketing campaigns.
See salaries and explore the career path for Digital Marketing Specialist
Content Creator
Content Creators develop engaging and informative content for various platforms, including blogs, websites, and social media. The Canva Design Essentials course is particularly valuable for Content Creators because it helps build skills in creating visuals that capture attention and communicate effectively. Focusing on design fundamentals, image editing, and video editing, along with the ability to create professional documents and presentations, may be helpful for producing diverse content. Furthermore, learning how to use Canva's AI features may help automate and enhance the content creation process.
See salaries and explore the career path for Content Creator
Branding Specialist
Branding Specialists focus on creating and maintaining a consistent brand identity for organizations. The Canva Design Essentials course can be useful for Branding Specialists because it builds skills in logo design, color palettes, and typography. Emphasizing design fundamentals and creating professional documents, the course helps one develop a strong understanding of visual branding elements. Furthermore, the course's lessons on creating social media and marketing graphics help ensure brand consistency across various platforms.
See salaries and explore the career path for Branding Specialist
Marketing Coordinator
A Marketing Coordinator supports marketing campaigns and initiatives, often managing social media content, email marketing, and other promotional activities. For a Marketing Coordinator, the Canva Design Essentials course may be particularly useful for creating social media and marketing graphics. The course helps build skills in design fundamentals, working with colors and text, and creating visually appealing content. Furthermore, the course emphasizes logo design and branding which are key components in any marketing strategy. Learning how to create professional documents and presentations may also be relevant for internal communication and reporting.
See salaries and explore the career path for Marketing Coordinator
Marketing Assistant
Marketing Assistants provide support to marketing teams, assisting with various marketing activities. The Canva Design Essentials course is particularly helpful for Marketing Assistants tasked with creating marketing materials and social media content. The course's focus on design fundamentals, social media graphics, and logo design may build skills in creating visually appealing content. Learning how to create professional documents and presentations may also be relevant for assisting with marketing reports and presentations.
See salaries and explore the career path for Marketing Assistant
Visual Communication Specialist
A Visual Communication Specialist conveys messages through visual elements, ensuring clarity and impact in various communication channels. The Canva Design Essentials course is valuable for Visual Communication Specialists looking to enhance their design skills and create effective visuals. With a focus on design fundamentals, working with colors and text, and creating professional documents and presentations, the course helps build skills in visual storytelling. Learning to edit video and use Canva's AI features may also allow Visual Communication Specialists to create more engaging and dynamic content.
See salaries and explore the career path for Visual Communication Specialist
Brand Ambassador
Brand Ambassadors represent a brand and promote its products or services, often through social media and other promotional activities. The Canva Design Essentials course may be a strong foundation for Brand Ambassadors looking to create visually appealing content that aligns with the brand's identity. Focusing on design fundamentals, logo design, and branding, it helps build skills in creating consistent and engaging visual content. Furthermore, the course's coverage of social media and marketing graphics may be particularly relevant for Brand Ambassadors promoting brands on social media platforms.
See salaries and explore the career path for Brand Ambassador
Presentation Specialist
Presentation Specialists are experts in crafting and delivering compelling presentations. The Canva Design Essentials course empowers Presentation Specialists to create visually appealing and engaging presentations. Focusing on design fundamentals, color palettes, and typography provides the skills needed to create effective slides. Furthermore, the course's lessons on creating professional documents and presentations help hone presentation design skills.
See salaries and explore the career path for Presentation Specialist
Communications Coordinator
Communications Coordinators support communication strategies, often creating content for internal and external communications. The Canva Design Essentials course may be particularly useful for Communications Coordinators looking to enhance the visual appeal of their communications. With a focus on design fundamentals, working with images and text, and creating professional documents and presentations, the course helps build skills in creating engaging content. Learning how to edit video and use Canva's AI features may also allow Communications Coordinators to create more dynamic content.
See salaries and explore the career path for Communications Coordinator
Web Content Manager
A Web Content Manager is responsible for planning, creating, and managing content for websites. The Canva Design Essentials course may be useful for Web Content Managers looking to enhance the visual appeal of their websites. With an emphasis on design fundamentals, working with images and text, and creating professional documents, the course helps build skills in creating engaging web content. The course's coverage of social media and marketing graphics may also be relevant for promoting website content on social media platforms.
See salaries and explore the career path for Web Content Manager
E-Learning Developer
An E-learning Developer designs and creates online courses and training materials, often incorporating multimedia elements to enhance the learning experience. The Canva Design Essentials course may be valuable for E-learning Developers looking to improve the visual appeal and effectiveness of their online courses. With a focus on design fundamentals, working with images and text, and creating professional documents and presentations, the course helps build skills in designing engaging educational content. Learning how to edit video and use Canva's AI features may also allow E-learning Developers to create more interactive and dynamic learning experiences.
See salaries and explore the career path for E-Learning Developer
Instructional Designer
Instructional Designers create learning materials and experiences, often using visual aids and multimedia elements to enhance understanding. The Canva Design Essentials course may be especially useful for Instructional Designers looking to improve the visual appeal and effectiveness of their training materials. Emphasizing design fundamentals and creating professional documents and presentations, helps build skills in designing engaging and informative content. Learning how to edit video and use Canva's AI features may also allow Instructional Designers to create more interactive and dynamic learning experiences.
See salaries and explore the career path for Instructional Designer

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Canva Design Essentials.
Cover image
Presentation Book
Save
Provides a solid foundation in design principles, making it an excellent resource for beginners. It covers typography, color, layout, and other essential elements in a clear and accessible manner. Reading this book will enhance your ability to create visually appealing designs in Canva. It is commonly used as a textbook in introductory design courses.
Presentation Book
Paperback
Check
Presentation Book
Kindle Edition
Check
Cover image
Identity Designed
Save
Offers valuable insights into the logo design process, covering topics such as brainstorming, sketching, and typography. It provides practical advice and inspiration for creating effective and memorable logos. While Canva offers logo templates, this book will help you understand the principles behind good logo design. This book is more valuable as additional reading than it is as a current reference.
Identity Designed
Paperback
Check
Identity Designed
Kindle Edition
Check

Share

Help others find this course page by sharing it with your friends and followers:
Facebook
LinkedIn
Reddit
X
Link
Email

Similar courses

Similar courses are unavailable at this time. Please try again later.
Effort
7.5 total hours
Via
Udemy
Instructor
Daniel Walter Scott
Language
English
Share and help others discover this course.
Facebook LinkedIn X Reddit Link Email
Don't miss out
Enroll today to gain access to this course
Enroll in this course
Our mission

OpenCourser helps millions of learners each year. People visit us to learn workspace skills, ace their exams, and nurture their curiosity.

Our extensive catalog contains over 50,000 courses and twice as many books. Browse by search, by topic, or even by career interests. We'll match you to the right resources quickly.

Find this site helpful? Tell a friend about us.

Affiliate disclosure

We're supported by our community of learners. When you purchase or subscribe to courses and programs or purchase books, we may earn a commission from our partners.

Your purchases help us maintain our catalog and keep our servers humming without ads.

Thank you for supporting OpenCourser.

© 2016 - 2025 OpenCourser