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Canva vs a designer: the honest split
When a template is enough, when it starts costing you, and how to brief either path.
Canva is a printer for layouts that already exist. A designer is someone who decides what should exist. If you need a story deck, a social set, or a one-off poster, a template is enough. If you need a system (type, color, rules that survive five people), hire.
The hidden cost of templates is sameness. If three competitors used the same “bold serif on peach,” you do not have a brand. Change type, spacing, and one constraint (only two colors, no stock handshake photos) before you publish.
Pay a designer when: logo, packaging, a site that must not look like a theme, or anything a client will keep for years. Pay Canva Pro when: volume, brand kit sharing, and you already have the rules.
Envato and similar markets sit in the middle: a bought template with a designer’s taste, still yours to break. Use the same kill-filter as WordPress themes — updates, license, and whether you can delete half of it.
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