Canva CEO Melanie Perkins on skirting AI backlash and competing with Adobe

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses Canva, a design software company, and its CEO and co-founder Melanie Perkins. It covers Canva's journey, its expansion into the enterprise market, and Perkins' approach to decision-making and the company's culture. The article also explores Canva's use of AI and its stance on the creative community's concerns around AI tools.

🙋 Q&A

[01] Canva's Journey and Mission

1. What is Canva and why was it started? Canva is an online design platform that was started over a decade ago to make design tools more accessible and collaborative, especially for those without extensive design experience. The goal was to enable people to easily turn their ideas into designs with minimal friction.

2. How has Canva's mission and focus evolved over the years? Canva's initial focus was on empowering individual users, but it has now expanded to also empower organizations and enterprises. The company's mission is to "empower the world to design" by making design tools available in every language, on every device, and for every industry and profession.

3. What is Canva's two-step plan, and how does it balance business growth with social impact? Canva's two-step plan is to first build one of the world's most valuable companies, and then use the equity and profits to do the most good possible through philanthropy. The co-founders have signed the Giving Pledge to donate their wealth, and they see the two steps as complementary, with the business growth fueling the social impact.

[02] Canva's Approach to Enterprise and Competition

1. How has Canva's approach to the enterprise market evolved, and what are the key features of its enterprise offering? Canva initially had an enterprise offering, but it was rolled into the main Teams product. The latest enterprise product is focused on the needs of admins and CIOs, providing features like centralized dashboards, admin controls, and IP protection - addressing the concerns of large organizations deploying Canva at scale.

2. How does Canva view its competition, particularly with larger players like Adobe? Canva sees the design market as having been dominated by a "one-horse race" for a long time, and believes that having alternative options benefits designers and consumers. The company's approach is to focus on solving problems and creating value, rather than direct competition. The acquisition of Affinity is part of this strategy to provide a powerful alternative for professional designers.

[03] Canva's Approach to AI and Creative Concerns

1. How does Canva approach the integration of AI features in its products? Canva sees AI features as a way to reduce friction and enable users to more easily turn their ideas into designs. Features like background removal and generative tools are aimed at streamlining the creative process, not replacing human creativity. Canva has also placed limits on its AI, such as not generating political content, to address potential misuse.

2. How does Canva navigate the tensions between the democratization of design and the creative community's concerns about AI devaluing their work? Canva acknowledges the valid concerns from the creative community, but believes that the overall growth in visual communication and design has outpaced any devaluation. The company aims to empower both professional designers and novice users, seeing them as complementary rather than in conflict. Acquiring Affinity is part of the strategy to provide high-end tools for professional designers.