Consideration #1: Technologies

To create engaging Instagram content for a social media campaign for Lost and Found Vintage, I will use Canva to design infographics, calendars, and multimedia photos.

Why Canva?

According to the Canva mission statement, the application is an “online design and visual communication platform with a mission to empower everyone in the world to design anything and publish anywhere.” Canva equips users with the tools to become designers, without years of training. Users can create documents, presentations, Instagram stories, flyers, wallpapers, resumes, infographics, logos, business cards, amongst other products. Unlike Adobe Illustrator or InDesign, Canva comes with more pre-made templates and design elements. I will be using Canva instead of Adobe Illustrator and InDesign because I will be able to produce more content quickly because of the pre-made templates and design elements. This will save me a lot of time, given the short amount of time I have to complete the project. Additionally, because I am working with a client, it is important that I use applications that my client can easily access. Once the semester is over, Jenny can access the designs/templates or use branded elements I create in her own Canva account to continue the Instagram account. Canva offers speed, accessibility, and longevity.

Room for Improvement

In order to make the most of what Canva has to offer I want to take advantage of their online courses that teach users how to use their products. For example, I want to revamp/edit the Lost and Found Vintage logo, but first I will go through the ‘Creating a Logo’ course. I will be able to learn from professionals about what makes an effective and well-designed logo. Because the campaign will take place on social media, I also want to engage in a course about ‘Social Media Mastery.’ I will learn how to tailor content on Canva using the tools they provide. Finally, because I am working with a client and existing brand, I want to go through the ‘Branding your Business’ course in order to understand how a brand forms visually. This will allow me to conceptualize the visual identity of Lost and Found Vintage. 

Sociability of Canva

Canva is actively social for a variety of reasons. On a single project, multiple collaborators can work on designs at the same time. There can be multiple people working on an active document from across the world. Designs created on Canva can be shared and displayed on computers, phones, tablets, televisions, etc. The content that is created on Canva also opens the door for sociability because of the engaging/ interactive aspect of design elements. Canva specifically targets Instagram users with their built in templates fitted for Instagram dimensions, which if used properly, can enhance sociability drastically. Canva also has a Teams feature in which members of an organization can have a shared account that holds branded content and company assets. Additionally, within the application there is a blog in which creators can share their insights, inspiration, and tips. 

Connection to Culture

Aside from their design products, Canva is driven by mission. Many companies today feature a mission statement on their websites to connect with audiences and foster a sense of community. People are not interested in companies that don’t work for something beyond their product. The platform seeks to “be a force for good” and “empower others” through inclusive design. Inclusive design on Canva looks like alt text and a library of over 1 million graphic elements that span countless topics. They hope to spread the knowledge of inclusive design through mini courses they offer under their education tab and in their blog posts. 

Canva also reflects how culture is focused on aesthetics and design. People value infographics, photos, and videos that look visually appealing and are stylized. People are attracted to brands and the visual identity of companies. We enjoy curated content that seamlessly fits into a “vibe.” Canva offers users with endless fonts, colors, graphics, and shapes to easily enhance the aesthetic of an image, infographic, or video. 

Along with the ability to develop aesthetically pleasing content, Canva reflects the cultural value of speed and accessibility. Humans seek technologies that work quickly and efficiently. Unlike Adobe InDesign and Illustrator, Canva eliminates a lot of time that goes into learning about design programs. Users do not need to make every graphic or template from scratch, they are able to use pre-made templates and design elements. This speeds up the process greatly. 

Affordances

Speed: Like I previously mentioned, Canva does not require users to build templates, designs, and elements from the ground up. A lot of the design features are pre-made by professional designers. This will allow me to work quickly and give me more time to focus on other aspects of the social media campaign- like photography and video editing. 

Adaptability: Canva is a great tool to work on with a client because my client, Jenny, also has the ability to co create directly. She can adapt designs to fit her specific needs. For example, if she likes a template I created for an Instagram grid post, she can easily use the same fonts, colors, and design features in an Instagram story post. Designs are not limited to one format. She can also easily swap out colors, fonts, etc. After the semester is complete, she can continue using the products I made for her but adapt them for future needs. 

Creative Freedom: While there are many pre-made features on the application, Canva still offers ample creative freedom. I can reformat and adjust pre-made templates to fit the Lost and Found brand, or I can create designs from scratch. There are endless fonts, colors, and graphics that Canva has in its library for me to really customize various pieces of content. 

Constraints

Canva Pro: To access all of the features on Canva, users have to pay a monthly fee. I have chosen to do this because I use Canva for a variety of classes and projects. While I am afforded all of the features, but it does come at a financial cost. I cannot ask Jenny to also purchase Canva Pro, so she will be limited to using only a portion of the assets is she chooses to adapt any of the designs.

Canva Teams: Canva Teams is an additional purchase that companies can make to access branded content. Companies can create branded elements and store them in a company wide library on Canva. This would be helpful for Jenny because I could pre-make a lot of designs/ templates for her to use in the future. But, this feature is much more expensive and is not in the $50 budget for the semester.

Limited Fonts/Colors/Elements: While Canva has an extensive library of images, fonts, colors, elements, and shapes, they are still limited to that library. There is a lot of creative freedome within the features they offer, yet there is a threshold. I am not offered complete creative freedom.