By Beatriz Marie D. Cruz, Reporter
VISUAL COMMUNICATION platform Canva, Inc. on Friday introduced Visual Suite 2.0, which simplifies design workflows and utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) to offer novel tools for creators.
According to Canva Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Melanie Perkins, Visual Suite 2.0 represents the company’s largest product launch since its inception in 2013. The unveiling took place at the Canva Create event held at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
“We recognized a significant opportunity to simplify complex tasks and pondered how we could enhance AI to be even more accessible and user-friendly,” Canva Co-founder Cameron Adams stated during a virtual briefing last week.
“In the past, we encountered challenges that required distinct skills to narrate a story, visualize data, gather insights, or even grasp the formula yourself,” Canva Philippines Country Head Yani Hornilla-Donato explained to BusinessWorld in a virtual interview. “However, we are now democratizing these skills into user-friendly tools and buttons, enabling users to concentrate less on technical prowess and unleash their creativity and critical thinking more effectively.”
One of the highlights of Visual Suite 2.0 is Visual Suite in One Design, which merges design and work tools into a cohesive workflow, facilitating collaboration among various users when creating content.
Additionally, Canva Sheets arranges data, text, and visual resources into spreadsheets, and users can also import data from HubSpot, Statista, Google Analytics, and more. Magic Charts transforms raw data into visuals within seconds using AI, while Magic Studio at Scale enables users to produce content in bulk.
The organization also launched Canva AI, a voice-activated tool that allows users to create a design from a single prompt, and Canva Code, which permits creators to design interactive content without any programming knowledge.
Finally, Canva Photo Editor, which is now included in Visual Suite, offers features such as AI-driven point-and-click editing and AI-generated backgrounds.
To ensure the responsible application of AI tools on the platform, Canva Shield delivers input and output moderation, safety filters, bias reduction, and user controls.
Per Ms. Perkins, users will also have the option to disable AI tools according to their preferences, particularly those in “sensitive” sectors.
“As a corporation, I would assert that Canva has adopted a more cautious approach regarding AI. By this, I mean dedicating time to research, striving to diminish bias in our AI models, and upholding our principles when we integrate or collaborate with tools that utilize AI,” Ms. Donato remarked.
With the introduction of Visual Suite 2.0, Canva is optimistic about expanding its user base in the Philippines, which is the company’s initial market worldwide to reach one in five Canva users, the official noted.
The majority of Canva users in the Philippines are small and medium enterprises that utilize the platform for marketing, product showcasing, and video content, in addition to freelancers, students, teachers, and knowledge workers, Ms. Donato stated, mentioning that they have also observed increasing interest from corporations.