Level up Your Slides with Canva
- 10 hours ago
- 4 min read
Introduction: The Future of Presenting Is Already Here
The way we present has changed dramatically. Whether you're pitching to a client, onboarding a new team member, or running a workshop across time zones, the old slide-and-speak format simply doesn't cut it anymore. At the 2022 Present to Succeed conference, Paul (Product Lead for Presentations) and Ashley (Product Marketing) from Canva took the stage to show just how far presentations have come — and where they're headed.
Why Visual Communication Is Your Superpower
Remote and hybrid work has surfaced a core challenge: collaboration and engagement are harder through a screen. Canva's own research found that 75% of workers say collaboration has suffered most with hybrid working, while 78% identify fostering inclusion across time zones as a significant challenge.
The answer, according to Paul and Ashley, is visual communication. Consider the numbers:
91% of consumers prefer visual content over text-based media
Visuals improve learning by 400%
Visual information is processed 60,000 times faster than text
65% of the population are visual learners
When your audience is distracted, fatigued, or scattered across different locations, visuals cut through the noise in a way that static text simply cannot.
Going Beyond the Traditional Slide Deck
Canva is built on a simple but powerful mission: empower the world to design. With over 80 million active monthly users and more than 900 presentations created every minute, it's clear the platform is resonating — and not just because the results look good.
Here's how Canva helps presenters go beyond the standard slide-by-slide format:
Cinematic Storytelling
Canva makes it easy to bring video and presentations together. You don't need to be a video editor — cinematic effects, transitions, and embedded videos are all built into the same familiar interface.
Data Visualisation with Flourish
Canva acquired Flourish, a UK-based data visualisation platform, to make complex data accessible and beautiful. Charts become animated. Dashboards become stories. And crucially, no coding is required. The integration allows users to link live data from Google Sheets, paste in CSV files, or choose from a range of diagram templates to make data feel dynamic rather than static.
Talking Presentations
Record yourself directly within Canva to create asynchronous presentations — ideal for growing teams where you'd otherwise find yourself repeating the same information to new starters. Once recorded, your presentation is polished and replayable at any time.
Presentation as a Landing Page
Share presentations as standalone web pages rather than PDFs. Particularly popular with People & Culture teams for onboarding, handbooks, and company announcements, this format turns static content into a richer, more engaging experience.
Whiteboard Workshops
Canva's infinite canvas lets you expand any slide into a full whiteboard — perfect for brainstorming sessions. Teams can collaborate in real time, then zoom back into the finished output as part of the presentation deck.
Keeping Your Audience Engaged
Holding people's attention is harder than ever. Canva has built a suite of features specifically designed to combat screen fatigue and drive participation.
Magic Shortcuts
During a live presentation, a single keystroke can trigger audience moments — confetti, a countdown timer, a drum roll, or even a "mic drop" to land your final point. These shortcuts are small details, but they make a real difference in keeping a hybrid audience focused and entertained.
Interactive Templates
From quizzes and icebreakers to team-building games and brainstorms, Canva's template library covers almost every use case. There are also built-in timers and live collaboration tools so the audience isn't just watching — they're participating.
Canva Live
Start a live session during your presentation and your audience can join via a unique code. From there, you get live Q&A and real-time emoji reactions, giving remote participants a way to feel genuinely involved rather than passive observers.
Remote Control for Co-Presenters
One of the most practical new features: multiple presenters can now control the slides simultaneously. No more "next slide, please" — everyone stays in flow, focused on the content rather than the administration.
Canva's Commitment to Doing Good
It's worth noting that Canva's ambition extends beyond design tools. The founders have committed the vast majority of their equity — 30% of Canva — to good causes through the Canva Foundation. Canva is entirely free for nonprofits and schools, and over 200,000 organisations including WWF, UNICEF, and Habitat for Humanity use it to communicate their missions. Using Canva, in a small way, contributes to that broader purpose.
Final Thoughts: Make Your Next Presentation Count
Paul and Ashley's session is a compelling reminder that presentations are no longer just about sharing information — they're about connection, creativity, and engagement. Whether you're working in person, remotely, or somewhere in between, Canva gives you the tools to make your message land.
If you haven't tried it yet, Canva is currently offering a free three-month trial of Canva Pro. There's genuinely no better time to see what your presentations could look like.
Join the Conversation
Have you used Canva for a presentation recently? What features have made the biggest difference for your team? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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