With his project "Ad It If You Canva", he transforms famous brand ads to inspire those who believe that design is only for professionals.
What would a Starbucks ad look like if you redesigned it yourself? And one for NIVEA, Gillette or KitKat? The answer lies in "Ad It If You Canva", the project by Elenomeleno who took home one of the prizes in the Canva contest. This creative self-taught designer shows us that, with imagination and a good tool, you don't need to be an expert to create stunning advertising pieces.
Through six posters for six world-renowned brands, Elenomeleno explores the universe of advertising design using Canva exclusively. Her goal? To inspire others to experiment, lose their fear of design and dare to tell their own visual stories. In this interview, she tells us what the creative process was like, what she learned during the contest and why she believes we can all be potential designers.
What was the concept behind the design you submitted to the contest? What story or idea were you trying to convey?
The concept behind the design was to demonstrate how, with a tool as accessible as Canva, you can create great designs. I wanted to convey that you don't need to have a long career or use the most expensive application on the market to be creative and make an impact on others.
What elements do you think are essential to create a "professional" design in Canva (typography, color palette, layout, etc.)?
For me, the essential thing when creating a professional design in Canva is to first define the message or emotion you want to communicate. From there, I choose the typography and color palette that best fits the idea.
Regarding typography, it is key to consider factors such as style (serif, sans serif, script, display), weight (light, regular, bold), and legibility. For example, to convey joy or dynamism, a typography with rounded and fluid shapes can be effective. On the other hand, to communicate seriousness or sadness, it is more appropriate to use a typeface with clean lines and neutral structure.
Regarding color, color theory principles should be applied. Warm tones (such as yellows, oranges and soft reds) evoke closeness and enthusiasm, while cool tones (such as blues, grays and dark greens) convey calmness or even sadness. Color harmony and contrast also play an important role in achieving a visually appealing and coherent design.
In summary, a good design does not always depend on using the most advanced tools; many times it is also about making decisions that adapt to what you want to communicate.
