How to prepare a creative pitch with Canva

We live and work in a visual economy, where the need to be effective visual communicators has never been greater. You might have the best creative idea in the world, but without compelling visuals to help you communicate it your pitch can fall flat. 

D&AD has teamed up with Canva, a platform that allows you to develop creative visuals online, to ensure that all New Blood entrants have access to design tools they need to craft a winning pitch. For the duration of the 2022 competition, Canva is offering Canva Pro free for 6 months which unlocks premium templates, videos, and features. Pro trials can be redeemed here with code NEWBLOOD.

Here, Canva experts share tried and tested tips from their own creative practice, on how you can make the most of visual design to really sell your idea.

Data is an important piece of unlocking the insights behind your pitch, but analysing large and complex datasets isn’t enough to sell a winning idea. Being able to demonstrate stats and figures clearly and effectively to your audience is as important as the data itself. Visual cues such as infographics, graphs and diagrams illustrate and easily communicate key data insights. 

Jamie Rosenberg, Data Analyst at Canva, uses data visualisation tools every day to bring facts and figures to life. “Never underestimate the power that infographics, charts, and diagrams can have to communicate complex ideas. Data visualisation allows you to showcase crucial information in a way that is digestible and meaningful to your audience.”  

You can visualise data easily by creating dynamic infographics, charts , and diagrams with the Canva Graph feature. For more tips, check out this guide to using charts in Canva.

Mock-ups show what your idea looks like in the real world. Get your client to imagine how your concept will play out by showing them. Whether it’s an ad, a game, a website or a social media post, make sure your audience understands your vision by demonstrating the environment where it will live.

Liat Cohen, Product Marketing Manager at Canva relies on mock-ups when rolling out new features. “Showcasing your idea on the platform where it will come to life, gives dimension to your pitch and ensures your audience understands how the product works, instantly taking your presentation to the next level.” 

You can use Smartmockups on Canva to create professional user interfaces across websites, mobile apps and tablets to show the real life application of your idea. Check out this guide for a ‘how to’ on creating a mockup of your design.

Ensuring that all your pitch materials are cohesive and in line with your brand is crucial to making a professional impression. Plus, having a consistent visual identity that you can apply across all of your designs brings ease and clarity to the creative process. Most importantly, a cohesive look and feel allows your audience to connect with the vision and direction of your brand. 

For Kinal Ladha, Creative Lead at Canva, consistency is at the core of any strong brand. “An enduring brand is far more than a beautiful logo and matching color palette,” she explains. “ A consistent brand encapsulates the values, purpose, and personality behind your pitch, and helps you stand out from the competition. Your brand truly represents who you are.”

Created in partnership with Canva.

Canva’s Brand Kit lets you keep your key visuals and assets in one place so you can design on-brand for everything you create. Click here to learn how to build your own brand kit with Canva Pro.

Try Canva Pro free for 6 months for the duration of the 2022 D&AD New Blood Awards entry period to unlock premium templates, videos, and features. Pro trials can be redeemed here with code NEWBLOOD.