Canva has evolved beyond its origins as a visual design platform, significantly broadening its scope. In addition to the newly updated Visual Suite 2.0, the company has introduced features catering to coding, spreadsheets, and graphs, marking a substantial pivot in their direction.
If other tech giants like Facebook can change their brand identity in search of new opportunities, then Canva seems justified in exploring its own transformation. The introduction of “Canva Sheets” exemplifies this shift toward spreadsheet functionality.
A video showcasing Sheets highlights how visual and engaging this new feature is, complete with functionalities such as “Magic Insights” and “Magic Formulas.” Users can now generate formulas by simply inputting natural language, which Canva’s AI processes to provide the appropriate formula—an enhancement over traditional spreadsheet tools like Microsoft Excel, which, despite its capabilities, lacks visual appeal. Canva’s Sheets also allows for seamless integration with Excel, emphasizing its mission to tell visual stories.
While it remains free to use, brands may need to pay for additional features, such as syncing logos or expanded cloud storage. Similar to Excel’s charting capabilities, Canva Charts offer recommendations while maintaining a vibrant aesthetic that sets it apart.
Although Canva did not specify a release date for these features, graphics suggest they are on the horizon. Both Sheets and Charts will be compatible with other tools within the Canva ecosystem, such as the AI-driven Magic Write for content enhancement.
Additionally, Canva AI functions as a design assistant, allowing users to upload images and create social media posts directly. Innovation extends to coding as well, where Canva envisions its platform being utilized by web designers.
With tools like a new photo editor that can seamlessly manipulate images in AI-generated backgrounds, Canva aims to consolidate various design tasks in one workflow. According to Perkins, this integrated suite of tools represents a significant shift in how users can approach their projects.