The rise of generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) has dramatically impacted many industries, but perhaps none more than graphic design. With the power of AI systems to generate images and designs through computer vision, creating visual content, logos, and high-resolution artwork has become easier and more accessible, even for those without technical expertise. This has posed a challenge for companies that specialize in digital image creation tools and solutions, such as Adobe, Pixlr, and Canva.

For the end-user, AI image generation has simplified the design process, allowing users to generate designs with just a text prompt. This shift led to a crucial question: why continue using complex design tools when AI can do the job for you? This question has pushed almost all major design companies to integrate AI into their products, but the question remains — is this sustainable, or just a way to delay the inevitable?

Gadgets 360 spoke with Cameron Adams, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Canva, to understand how the company views AI and the broader design landscape, as well as the company’s vision moving forward.

Interestingly, Canva is one of the best case studies for this AI transformation. Founded in 2013, the Sydney-based visual communications platform has integrated a wide range of AI tools and launched an enterprise-focused suite. This shift marks a departure from Canva's original community-driven approach, which primarily catered to casual designers, college students, social media influencers, and independent marketers.

Canva's New Enterprise-Focused Approach

Since its inception, Canva has aimed to solve a unique problem: helping people who wanted to design but lacked the skills to use advanced tools like Adobe Photoshop. To address this, the company created an intuitive platform where users could easily create designs using simple tools and visual interfaces. Canva’s platform was never meant for professional designers creating detailed vectors or complex art; instead, it targeted users who wanted to design birthday invitations, presentations, pamphlets, marketing materials, or social media posts.

This user-focused approach helped Canva build a strong community and experience consistent growth. The company reached 100 million monthly active users eight years after its launch, but it was able to add another 90 million users in just three years, reaching over 190 million active users by 2024.

However, 2024 also marked a pivotal shift for the company. Canva decided to focus more on the enterprise market, launching a suite of tools designed for large brands and organizations. While this might seem like an unusual move for a community-focused platform, Adams views it as a natural progression for the company.