"Canva Won’t Make You a Designer: Unlocking the Psychology of Graphic Design That Actually Works"

 Santos, Churt Noel S.

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CS Seminars and Educational Trips

BLOG REPORT:
"Canva Won’t Make You a Designer: Unlocking the Psychology of Graphic Design That Actually Works"

ByteWise Matrix had an extremely helpful webinar last October 19, 2024 entitled "Canva Won't Make You a Designer: Unlocking the Psychology of Graphic Design That Actually Works." The time was between 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM on Google Meet and Facebook Live. During the said session, the speaker was Mr. Paul André L. Morandarte, a very talented graphic designer. Our goal for this event was to help participants go beyond using basic design tools like Canva and truly understand the psychology behind effective graphic design. The focus was on how design decisions affect user perception and behavior, helping participants develop strategies to elevate their creative work.

Our team planned, prepared, and executed everything for all attendees to be given the best experience. Attendees learned so much more about design than most platforms, such as Canva, could possibly teach. The practical strategy covered in the webinar gave the participants tools to make their designs meaningful and effective.

Being part of the technical team for this webinar made me feel both excited and a little bit apprehensive. For the first time, I was sitting at that side of the desk, and I grew more anxious as the event drew closer. One thing that predominantly haunted me was the possibility of technical issues. What if it were to crash? What if something were to go wrong during the live broadcast? I was always thinking about these things prior to the event.

And to make things worse, the day was not as promised to be. I had visited my aunt's funeral in the morning. When I reached home, I was so tired and exhausted that I fell asleep. It was only at 2:20 PM that I woke up, just 40 minutes before the start of the webinar. In a rush to set up the Facebook live stream, I started panicking. I was lucky to have such excellent team members who helped me and worked well with each other to create correct conditions before the event.

Despite my being nervous and the rush in setting everything up, the seminar turned out just fine. Mr. Paul André L. Morandarte gave a very helpful talk on the psychology of graphic design. He discussed color psychology, composition, and typography. These are important parts that do more than just make things look nice; they help keep users interested. The audience paid close attention, and positive reactions made us feel that our hard work was truly rewarded. By the end of the day, a stressful experience changed into one that made us feel fulfilled and proud of what our team had done.

I now better understand the role that psychology plays in design. For me, this seminar imparted the importance of designing with a purpose: using design elements in ways that influence user perception and behavior. It's not just about selecting the right colors or fonts that will look aesthetically pleasing; this means developing a purpose behind the design elements themselves-to be perceived in just the right way by your audience, bringing you, the designer, your intended emotional response.

For the upcoming designs-whether for marketing materials, social media posts, or just web design-I intend to apply these insights and concepts to that work. I have come to understand how to apply color psychology, layout, and font style in order to engage people with the message being conveyed. Besides this, in terms of continued development, the planning and solving skills, which were applied during this stressful period of managing the technical setup for page creation, will remain a focus point.

My Critique and Room for Improvement

One area where we can improve for future events is boosting our confidence and proactivity. There were a few moments during the webinar when some of us hesitated, waiting for others to take the lead. Moving forward, it would be beneficial for the team to be more assertive and trust that we’ve got each other’s backs. By encouraging more open communication and engagement, we can create an even smoother and more interactive experience for everyone involved.

The "Canva Won’t Make You a Designer" webinar was an insightful and rewarding experience, not only for the participants but also for the organizers. Despite the personal challenges and initial nerves, our team came together to deliver a successful event that left a lasting impression. The practical design strategies shared by Mr. Paul André L. Morandarte were valuable, and I’m excited to apply them in future projects.

Looking back, I’m proud of how we handled the event, and I’m confident that we’ll continue to improve and refine our processes as we organize more webinars in the future. The experience reinforced the importance of teamwork, communication, and thoughtful design—and I’m excited to carry these lessons forward.