I went back to uni!

My weekends are pretty busy these days now that I’ve returned to university. After graduating with a first-class honours in Fashion Product and Promotion from the University of Sunderland—a course primarily focused on branding and marketing design within a fashion context—I always thought I would pursue further studies.

In addition to my undergraduate degree, I also hold a PGCE in Post-Compulsory Education and Training (PCET). Currently, I am studying for my second BA in Visual Communications at the Open College of the Arts and an MA in User Experience Design at Falmouth University. One provides the creative diversity my life needs, while the other advances my career in the realm of UX. Below are some of the projects I have been working on.

Essay: Does Canva Empower Designers and Improve Business Productivity, or Does It Compromise the Creative Workforce?

Canva is a popular online content creation software with 170 million active monthly users (N. Kumar, 2024) who can access a selection of editable templates, including marketing materials, letterheads, social media graphics, basic motion graphics, signage, and vector graphics. These templates can be used for in-house marketing and brand collateral (Z. Kitschke, 2022, A. Aziz, Forbes). Creative teams, businesses of all sizes, and independent designers can access this digital tool through various subscription plans, from free accounts to enterprise packages, each offering different features and costs to fit multiple budgets (canva.com).

As Canva becomes increasingly popular among marketing departments, job roles and the composition of in-house teams are evolving. The term "content creator" has seen a 489,000% increase among job listings since 2016 (businessofbusiness.com, 2021). Hybrid roles are emerging, combining both general marketing and design responsibilities. This is driven by new technologies leading to the democratization of creativity (B. Abramson, 2023), as AI disrupts traditional design roles while empowering professionals (C. Rosario, 2024) who may not have formal design training but seek to contribute to business productivity and expand their skill set (M. Osman, 2021).

For basic social media graphics that require minimal creative intervention, Canva can be an effective tool, allowing multidisciplinary teams to handle basic design work while freeing graphic designers to focus on higher-value tasks such as brand strategy, corporate reports, and complex animations (E. Annunziato, mondo.com).

The average UK small business reports a turnover of £806K, with outgoing costs ranging from 65% to 75% (merchantsavvy.co.uk, 2024). Hiring an in-house graphic designer with an average salary of £30K per year (plexuscommunications.co.uk, 2022) involves additional expenses such as tax, pension contributions, and training. For small businesses like cafés, gift shops, and charities, Canva offers a cost-effective solution. Illustrator and animator Mair Perkins (2024) notes that smaller organizations with limited budgets prefer easy-to-use design tools like Canva, which allow them to create and edit assets independently.

Graphic designers play a crucial role in communications departments, collaborating with marketing leads and copywriters to refine and execute design projects. Traditionally, designers have relied on tools like Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop to create custom templates. However, these require specialized skills. Canva simplifies the process, enabling teams to access pre-approved templates and make minor edits—such as updating text and applying proofing notes—without needing advanced design training (S. Barrass, 2024).

Scott Barrass, Junior Client Partner at Creo Comms, raises concerns that businesses may become overly reliant on Canva, potentially diminishing the need for qualified graphic designers. According to Tom May (2024), understanding design fundamentals takes years of practice, and while Canva offers an efficient way to create designs, it does not replace the expertise of a professional designer. Canva’s marketing suggests that users can produce professional-looking graphics effortlessly, but this often results in non-unique designs. Just as stock images are available to everyone, Canva templates lack exclusivity. Furthermore, Canva holds the copyright over its assets, meaning users cannot claim full ownership of their designs (mondo.com).

When building a modern brand, establishing a unique visual identity is essential for engagement and long-term customer relationships. Consumers may not consciously analyze design quality, but they instinctively respond to it. Good design creates an emotional reaction rather than a technical critique. Professional graphic designers have the expertise to craft visuals that resonate with audiences, a nuance that template-based tools cannot replicate.

The graphic design industry is evolving, and professionals must adapt (T. May, 2024). Canva does not make someone a graphic designer—just as using a spreadsheet does not make someone an accountant (Design Domination, 2022). However, it can provide opportunities to upskill employees and support small, agile creative teams (T. May, 2024). By embracing new technologies, businesses can enhance collaboration, delegation, communication, and quality assurance.

In conclusion, while Canva is a valuable tool, it should not replace professional design expertise. Businesses seeking to build strong brands must balance efficiency with originality, ensuring that human creativity remains at the core of their visual identity. As the creative workforce adapts to new tools, the industry must advocate for best practices that integrate technology without compromising the value of design professionals.

Report: Developing Better Brands with Developed Experiences at the Core: Inspired by the Creative Agency ANML

For this short study, I am exploring the design processes of ANML, a creative agency specializing in developing tested digital brands built for longevity and impact. As the head of creative and founder discussed in the UI Breakfast Podcast (Episode 286), “Branding should reflect the experience, building the visual identity in parallel with the digital experience” (D. Hughmanick, UI Breakfast, 2024).

I am a working graphic designer currently pursuing a master’s degree in UX design. My goal is to diversify my skill set, enabling me to offer more creative services to prospective clients and enhance my current role as in-house creative support for the Society of Radiographers. What inspires me about ANML and its team of designers is their ethos and approach to client work, focusing on holistic brand experiences (D. Zanger, UI Breakfast, 2024). This is something I aim to incorporate into my own practice.

My short review of this creative community focuses on how to influence client relationships and attract the right kind of clients by presenting a more progressive—and arguably smarter—approach to brand experience design. My observations and research are based on digital content, including a podcast, online articles, and the ANML website as my primary sources of information.

ANML employs up to 50 staff members (Glassdoor.co.uk), is based in Los Gatos, United States, and serves clients worldwide, producing branding, app, and web-based solutions for companies including Zoom, Yummly, AXON, Ford, and CNN (anml.com).

On its website, ANML has published four key statements, which serve as a kind of manifesto and a promise to potential clients:

  • Pushing boundaries, achieving excellence

  • Innovate and improve relentlessly

  • Balanced lives, bold ideas

  • We’re transparent, honest, and respectful at our core
    (anml.com/about)

ANML elaborates on each of these principles, emphasizing their commitment to exceeding expectations through creativity and technology. They also highlight continuous learning for their practitioners—demonstrating a passion for the craft that is rarely articulated on other agency websites. Additionally, they stress the importance of trust and strong relationships between the creative team and the client (anml.com).

In a podcast interview for UI Breakfast, hosted by Jane Portman (which was my introduction to this agency), Hughmanick walks listeners through the foundations of design practice, making compelling points about considering experiences and visuals simultaneously. When bringing a new brand to life, an agency should guide all participants—including the client—to view the brand holistically. The way a brand operates in a digital space should be a primary design rule, yet many creative practitioners approach branding and digital infrastructure separately. This disjointed process can lead to untested brand assets and identities that lack a deep focus on experience, ultimately making the brand feel clunky, disconnected, and misaligned with its core values and mission statement.

Hughmanick also highlights motion design as a crucial component of modern branding. Motion graphics can communicate complex themes and emotions far more effectively than static visuals. Digital artifacts such as apps and websites that incorporate motion graphics achieve higher engagement rates (Ideal Insight, 2024). Hughmanick’s perspective reinforces the idea that brand design is a multi-dimensional and highly complex discipline, requiring a dedicated team with expertise in digital, motion, brand, and marketing strategy to create a cohesive and impactful experience.

In my experience, I have always advocated for better working practices. However, I have often worked with businesses unwilling to adopt these advisories, making it feel like an uphill battle as a designer and sometimes as a brand guardian. My goal has always been to create better design—not for myself, but for the brand as a whole. Some businesses don’t think like brands, which is perfectly fine. However, they often align with organisations that designers are less likely to enjoy working for, as their vision can feel short-sighted (T. May, 2022). Design, at its core, is about foresight and striving to improve the status quo.

Following the principles of Hughmanick and his agency, ANML, I am inspired to develop the right kind of working rituals to foster a more desirable client base.

My approach following this review:

  • Develop a workflow that clearly communicates to clients a comprehensive approach to brand development, leaving dedicated time for motion graphics and ensuring a clear visual language.

  • Ensure that all brand assets, touchpoints, and digital communications are built on a foundation of accessible and innovative digital infrastructure.

  • Reinforce the idea that a brand is about experience—what an audience thinks of you. Every brand decision should be made with this in mind.

Sketchbook samples: