Why I Left Photoshop and Illustrator for Canva
I've recently found myself deep in conversations with fellow designers about the evolving landscape of creative tools. After 15 years in UX and product design, I've journeyed through nearly every central design platform: Axure, Sketch, Photoshop, Illustrator, Figma, InDesign, and After Effects. (To really date myself, I built my first website on Dreamweaver.) Professionally, I still rely on some of these traditional tools, especially when managing complex design systems and legacy integrations.
But here's the truth: for my creative projects, everything now lives comfortably in Canva. From designing interactive presentations and mockups to creating video reels, social ads, product packaging, and even print-ready books, Canva handles it seamlessly, intuitively, and with surprisingly few limitations. Having focused so heavily on Figma for UX prototyping over recent years, I initially overlooked Canva's quiet but rapid evolution, especially its remarkable integration of AI-assisted workflows.
Vector Graphic Created using Canva's DreamLab AI, Desktop Website
Here's why Canva is now my go-to and why I'm not looking back:
1. A True All-in-One Creative Studio
Canva doesn't just simplify my workflow; it empowers it. Whether rapidly visualizing UX concepts for quick stakeholder feedback, editing engaging social videos, or laying out print publications, the ease of staying within a single platform is transformative. This all-in-one convenience is priceless for independent creators and UX designers who prototype broadly.
2. AI Enhancements That Help
Features like Expand, Grab Text, and Trace aren't gimmicks. They accelerate my design process meaningfully, allowing instant extraction, remixing, and extension of visuals—perfect for rapidly iterating UX concepts and content prototypes without manual hassle or plugins. For instance, Expand intelligently fills in the gaps in a design, Grab Text extracts text from images, and Trace converts hand-drawn sketches into digital designs, significantly speeding up the design process.
3. Mockup Generator: Underrated UX Magic
Gone are the days of tedious PSD templates or creating smart objects. Canva's drag-and-drop mockup feature is lightning-fast, visually compelling, and perfect for demonstrating user journeys, product previews, or validating early design concepts. It's a time-saver and a game-changer.
4. Integrated Motion, Media, and Voiceover Capabilities
Canva's native animation tools and intuitive video editing simplify content creation for engaging presentations, ads, and product demos. Adding text-to-speech voiceovers and music integrations transforms it into a mini multimedia studio—ideal for crafting compelling storytelling around UX presentations and launch materials.
5. Effortless, Print-Ready Publishing
As someone who frequently self-publishes books and resources, Canva's streamlined print formatting tools eliminate the complexity traditionally associated with publishing. Managing bleeds, margins, and covers has never been easier, saving countless hours I previously spent wrestling with InDesign. The transition from design to print is now seamless and efficient.
6. Bold, Visionary Product Innovation
Canva's recent launches speak volumes about its vision:
Visual Suite 2.0: Enhanced tools for docs, decks, whiteboards, and spreadsheets.
Canva Sheets: Data visualization designed for creatives.
Canva Code: Low-code interactive experiences that support rapid UX prototyping.
Advanced AI photo editing: Intelligent retouching, seamless backgrounds.
Magic Studio upgrades: Smart, intuitive design automation tailored to human workflows.
Canva's Dream Lab AI Tool, Desktop Website
This isn't mere catch-up; it's Canva setting a new standard for creative and UX professionals alike.
To clarify: Traditional tools remain essential in enterprise environments that demand complex design systems and robust prototyping. But for individual, agile UX experimentation and personal creative projects, Canva now reigns supreme.
(No, this isn't sponsored. I genuinely appreciate reclaiming my nights and weekends from file-format wrestling.)
The future of UX and creative design is flexible, collaborative, and intelligently augmented by AI. Canva is actively shaping it.
Are you designing with legacy habits? Still attached to Photoshop or Figma? Or are you using new creative tools that are better than Canva? Let me know! I love discussing new design tools and ways to expand UX impact.
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