is going to lock everyone inside

Canva has announced a new layer of AI and several tools that elevate its Visual Suite announced in spring:

1. A foundational design model (Canva AI) for generating and editing layered compositions.
2. Affinity It is integrated and will be free.
3. Videos 2.0, forms and Canva Code arrive with data from Sheets.
4. Email design.
5. Ask Canva as a creative “co-pilot.”
6. Generative elements (including 3D) and Brand System to transfer the brand to the editor.
7. In addition, it launches Canva Grow/Campaigns to connect creative performance with business results.

The context. The platform frames the movement in the transition from the “information age” to the “imagination age,” according to his words during the presentation.

AI stops producing flat pieces—static images—to understand and manage layered designs: text, images, fonts, video, animations… All within the editor itself.

Why is it important. canva It no longer competes only as an easy editor. It aspires to be the place where it is created, collaborated, published and optimized, with an increasingly professional level.

• For businesses, it means less friction between design, branding and marketing.
• For professionals, they draw a direct route between Affinity and Canva.
• And for non-expert teams, more autonomy without leaving the flow.

In detail:

• Canva AI is a design model that generates editable layered compositions, understands the context of the canvas and allows you to replace elements, adjust styles or request variations directly in the editor.
• Ask Canva It works like an assistant that “lives” in the comments. Suggest compositions, improve headlines, replace images, and maintain the tone of the document.

Image: Canva.

• AI works where you work. Generate elements—images, video, and rotatable 3D graphics and animations—with style matching to align the entire part.
• Videos 2.0 brings a redesigned timeline (desktop and mobile), renewed library and Magic Video: you upload clips, choose style and get a montage ready in about a minute.

Image: Canva.

• The forms Now they can be inserted into websites, presentations or documents. Responses go directly to Canva Sheets.
• CanvaCode connects with Sheets for code-based creations to read and write data: calculators, configurators, quizzes, dynamic pages.
• The email design comes with a visual editor and HTML export to send with any platform.
• Brand System Import a guide – PDF or web – and Canva converts the brand into components (kits, rules and assets) within the editor, with AI generation.

Image: Canva.

Image: Canva.

• Canva Grow / Campaigns offers inspiration by sector, multi-channel publication and insights that recommend concrete changes and close the creation → deployment → learning loop.
• The new Affinity arrives as a unified app—vector, raster and layout—with unique formatting, non-destructive editing, and performance for huge documents. Free forever. Integrates Canva AI Studio (for premium users) and direct export to Canva.

Between the lines. The tangential thing here is that this is a platform strategy, not a mere product. The mix of proprietary AI, content, apps, Affinity and the data layer (Sheets) reinforce a lock-in manual. Furthermore, it involves an attack on both sides:

• For non-designers, more autonomy.
• For professionals, free Affinity plus the bridge with Canva.

The objective is for the entire organization to create with consistency between teams and brands. And by the way, it points towards performance marketing in the editor. If Grow / Campaigns takes off, it will also compete with the creative and analytical management suites.

In Spain. Canva reinforces its local presence with Community Labs in Seville and its participation in SIMO Educación 2025. In addition, it has positioned Spain as one of the countries that uses AI the most.

In Xataka | Canva, from democratizing design to technological giant: “We are driven by the community, not competition”

Featured image | Canva, Xataka with Mockuuups Studio