Create promotional materials using Canva

What is the course about?

In this 6-hour hands-on course, you’ll learn to create visually appealing promotional materials using Canva, a versatile and user-friendly graphic design tool. Whether you’re a small business owner, marketer, or simply interested in building your design skills, this course will guide you through the essentials of designing engaging content for various platforms. From posters to social media graphics and brochures, you’ll gain the confidence to create professional-quality materials that represent your brand effectively.

What will we cover?

• Introduction to Canva’s interface and basic design tools.
• Creating a brand kit: colors, fonts, and logo integration.
• Customising templates for posters and flyers.
• Designing social media graphics to boost online engagement.
• Building brochures and infographics for detailed content.
• Exporting and sharing your designs in the best formats for different platforms.

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...

• Navigate Canva’s tools and select templates suitable for your needs.
• Upload images, and use graphics, and fonts to personalise your designs.
• Develop a cohesive brand kit and apply it to your promotional materials.
• Create high-quality visuals optimised for social media, and print.

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

This beginner level course is suitable for learners who are new to Canva or have limited experience using the platform. No prior design experience or knowledge of AI tools is required, though familiarity with Canva is beneficial.
Learners should be PC literate and comfortable with basic digital tasks, including using email, copying and pasting content, uploading and downloading files, and navigating a web browser. Sessions take place in City Lit digital labs and classrooms using the PCs provided, ensuring access to the required software and tools.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

You’ll be guided step-by-step through demonstrations and hands-on activities, with opportunities for feedback and questions. No outside work is required, as all practice and creation will take place during the class.Throughout the day, learners are guided step-by-step through the Canva platform, supported by relevant industry context and examples. The workshop blends tutor-led demonstrations, short group activities, and individual design time, allowing learners to practise and apply what they are learning in real time using a Canva Pro licence.

Learners will complete short tasks during the session and share their work with the tutor to demonstrate application and understanding. By the end of the workshop, students will have created a small set of draft designs and developed the confidence to continue experimenting independently.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

There are no additional costs. Access to Canva Pro will be provided for the course duration, and for a few days afterwards giving you full access to advanced design features and resources.

When I've finished, what course can I do next?

City Lit offers a variety of progression courses in this subject area. Please click here to view our courses.

Disclaimer: Use of Third-Party Software

AI tools (such as Gemini, Google AI Studio, ChatGPT, etc.) can be valuable for learning and productivity. However, many of these services-particularly those offered free of charge-may use the information you input, along with generated responses, to train and improve their models.

City Lit does not support, control or accept responsibility for these tools. Students should use personal email addresses when signing up for any software and are advised to review the provider’s privacy policy and terms of use to understand how their data is collected, processed, stored, and shared.

We do not recommend inputting sensitive, confidential, or personal information into these tools unless you have reviewed the product’s terms and conditions and are confident that its privacy and security measures meet your requirements.

• Examples of sensitive information include:
  • Personal information
  • Student information
  • Confidential information
  • Sensitive information
  • Information about other people without their consent

Please also refer to our City Lit policies