Canva Create 2025: Introducing Canva Code

Summary

In this inspiring presentation, Ally, head of design and experience at Canva, shares her journey from a non-technical startup founder to mastering coding and launching successful products. She introduces Canva Code, a groundbreaking tool that enables anyone to create interactive experiences without needing coding skills. Ally demonstrates its power by showcasing real-life projects created by participants—such as games, apps, and websites—generated in minutes. Canva Code promises to democratize the ability to code, empowering creators and entrepreneurs alike to bring their ideas to life quickly and easily, revolutionizing the creative process.

Takeaways

• 😀 Ally, head of design at Canva, shares her journey from being a non-technical founder to learning to code, which helped her secure funding and grow her startup.
• 😀 Canva is introducing 'Canva Code', a tool that empowers anyone to create interactive experiences without needing to know coding.
• 😀 Coding is often seen as inaccessible due to its complexity and the time required to learn it, but Canva aims to simplify the process.
• 😀 Canva Code allows users to create projects like quizzes, games, or interactive calculators by simply describing what they want to build in a few sentences.
• 😀 With Canva Code, you don’t need to know HTML or CSS—Canva takes care of the coding for you, making it accessible to non-technical users.
• 😀 Once a project is created using Canva Code, users can integrate it into designs such as presentations or publish it as a website.
• 😀 Canva’s goal is to replicate its success in making design accessible to millions by empowering users to create code-based projects effortlessly.
• 😀 A group of 25 participants, including teachers, business owners, and students, was tasked with creating projects using Canva Code to demonstrate its potential.
• 😀 Participants created diverse projects, including a mood-based song recommendation app, a fitness tracker, a puzzle for kids with autism, and even a horror video game based on a dog.
• 😀 Canva Code generated functional projects at lightning speed, completing tasks in seconds that would normally take hours or days, showcasing its efficiency and ease of use.

Q & A

What is Ally's background before joining Canva?

Ally was the founder of a startup. She initially faced rejections from investors due to being labeled a non-technical founder, but she learned to code and eventually raised funding, built a product, and got acquired.

Why is coding described as inaccessible for many people?

Coding is considered inaccessible because it is a complex and specialized skill that requires years of learning. Even creating a simple app can take weeks or months.

What is Canva's mission with Canva Code?

Canva aims to make coding as accessible as design. They want to empower everyone to create interactive experiences without needing coding skills, just like how they made design accessible to millions.

How does Canva Code work?

With Canva Code, users can simply enter a prompt describing what they want to build in a few sentences, such as a quiz, game, or interactive calculator. Canva's AI then generates the code for the user, no coding knowledge required.

Can users integrate Canva Code into their designs?

Yes, once the code is generated, users can add custom-coded widgets to their designs like presentations or publish them as websites.

How did Canva test Canva Code before launching it?

Canva assembled a group of 25 people, including teachers, business owners, and students, and asked them what they would create if they could code. They then used Canva Code to bring their ideas to life.

What kinds of projects did the test group create with Canva Code?

The group created a variety of projects, including interactive study apps, games, fitness trackers, websites, and even a horror-based video game.

How long did it take to generate code with Canva Code during the test?

In the test, Canva Code generated code in seconds, with some projects generating up to 140 lines of code, which would typically take hours in real-time coding.

What was the general reaction from the test group about Canva Code?

The test group was amazed by the speed and simplicity of Canva Code. Many were impressed that it saved them significant time, enabling them to bring their ideas to life quickly without coding experience.

What potential impact does Canva Code have on people with limited resources?

Canva Code can be especially beneficial for individuals with limited resources, such as startups or small businesses, as it allows them to create interactive experiences and applications without needing a big budget or advanced technical skills.