Have you wondered how Canva stacks up against Powerpoint for interior design presentations? We’re breaking it down for you and sharing why we prefer user-friendly Canva.

What Is Canva and Why Is It Better Than Powerpoint?

Canva is an online design and publishing software built to empower non-graphic designers with designer-level skills. 

PowerPoint has templates, but Canva elevates its library of pre-designed templates to the next level. These are templates built with graphic design in mind. They are a fool-proof way to build a professional presentation in a short amount of time. They look intentional, designed, and visually impactful. So, while you can start from scratch, you’re ready to spring right into action with aesthetically pleasing templates that are easy to customize. 

So, the main difference when looking at Canva v. Powerpoint is the breadth and depth of the templates. Powerpoint will leave you somewhat on your own in creating a presentation or mood board that looks designed and professional. It’s a tool that’s geared towards students, consultants, and general business people. Canva, on the other hand, sets out to enable anyone to become a designer and their templates are formatted to look as if a design professional created them. Branding and customization are simple within Canva. 

How Do You Sign Up For Canva?

All you need to do is register and get started! Canva has a free base level plan that will serve most of your needs, however, if you want to upgrade to gain access to custom fonts, color palettes, and other branding tools, you can access the Pro plan for $9.95/month, paid annually. 

How Can Interior Designers Use Canva?

The presentation layouts are professional and the options range from simple presentations to creative, marketing, and pitch deck-specific. They can be used to present a pitch to a prospective client, renderings for a new project, or a mood board, swatches, and furniture options to a client. And, while you can present directly from Canva, you also have the option to download your Canva presentation in PowerPoint if that’s more intuitive for you to use while you present. 

Plus, with Canva, there are additional features that will specifically help interior designers. For example, a quick click of a button can cut out the subject from an image, which comes in incredibly handy while creating interior design presentations. 

Note: If you’re a seasoned Powerpoint guru, you may want to keep in mind that Canva is better for graphic presentations than advanced animated presentations. 

Can You Schedule Social Media Graphics Directly From Canva?

Yes! You can quickly and easily create eye-catching social media graphics within Canva, then schedule the posts directly into your social media accounts. You’ll link your Facebook and Instagram through the settings option within Canva and then you’re all set up to start posting. 

They even have a content calendar so you can easily see what you have planned!

The Virtual Design Mentor Team’s Tips for Using Canva

The Virtual Design Mentor’s Apprentice, Nitya Charugundla, uses Canva for social media graphics and presentations alike and she promises that just 15 minutes of playing around and experimenting can get you up to speed in this incredibly user-friendly software. She says she began using it on her phone and, while it was a game-changer even on mobile, she really unlocked its capabilities once she used the desktop version. Now, she loves leveraging its brand kit features, including logo, color palettes, fonts, and more, to make sure her work stays consistent across all assets.

Nitya says, “While people who love Photoshop or PowerPoint may still want to use it for certain things, Canva is amazing because it truly is a one stop shop for making posts, scheduling content, presentations, newsletters and so much more!”

Jackie Bajuk, who runs operations for The Virtual Design Mentor loves the ease of use for someone who has little experience in the creative field. Jackie says “Canva is a blessing for those of us who are graphically challenged! The templates and tools let me work quickly while keeping our branding consistent.”

Check out a presentation fully formatted in Canva in our FREE Webinar : Kickoff To Summer

(LIVE 06.10.21).

Author of this blog post:

Heather Bien

Content Writer & Copywriter for The Virtual Design Mentor

Heather Bien is a Washington, DC-based content writer and copywriter. She works with creatives to bring their work to life through concise web copy and inspired content storytelling.

Throughout her writing career, Heather has worked on e-commerce launches, developing all web copy for new brands and entrepreneurs, maintained blogs for creatives, including designers and photographers, written for online publications on the topics of creativity and productivity, and published articles on home decor and design. And, while she works within a range of verticals, interior designers are near and dear to her heart.

Heather graduated from the University of Virginia in 2007 with a BA in Art History and Architectural History. She went on to work as a Junior Designer and Project Manager at several high-end residential design firms before embarking on her writing career. Those years spent working in the design world give her the vocabulary and understanding to speak to the value prop designers have to offer and to identify what sets a designer apart in the field.

When she's not writing, you'll find Heather trying out a new recipe in the kitchen, traveling (often in search of antiques), blogging, or working on her creative hobbies, including photography and painting.