Creating professional marketing content does not have to mean relying on a designer for every visual. With Canva, individuals and businesses can create engaging visual content for social media, events, promotions and workplace communications.

This practical, hands-on workshop introduces participants to Canva's essential design tools and techniques for creating professional marketing content. Participants will learn how to plan content around a clear message, apply basic visual design principles and create engaging visuals that are suitable for both digital and print use.

The workshop focuses on two practical projects: an animated social media carousel and an A3 marketing poster. Participants will also explore Canva's AI-assisted features to support content ideation and creation, while learning how to make informed design decisions rather than simply relying on templates.

By the end of the workshop, participants will have created practical marketing materials that can be adapted for use in their own workplace or business.

Course Pre-requisites

• Participants must bring a laptop and mouse for hands-on activities.
• Laptops should be Wi-Fi enabled and able to access the internet.
• Participants should create a free Canva account before attending the workshop.
• No prior Canva or graphic design experience is required.
• Participants are encouraged to bring their organisation's logo, brand colours, images and relevant marketing content for the practical exercises.
• Participants may also bring a marketing, promotional or workplace communication topic to develop during the workshop.
• Mobile phones and tablets are not recommended for the hands-on activities.

Objective

Participants will learn how to:

• Navigate Canva and use essential tools to create professional marketing content.
• Plan visual content around a target audience, key message and communication objective.
• Apply basic design principles including visual hierarchy, typography, colour, alignment and spacing.
• Create an engaging animated social media carousel.
• Design an A3 marketing poster for a business, campaign, event or workplace initiative.
• Use Canva's AI-assisted features to support content ideation and creation.
• Review and refine visual content for clarity, consistency and audience impact.

Outline

Module 1 — Canva Essentials: Build a Strong Visual Foundation

• Navigate Canva and understand the essential tools for creating marketing content.
• Set up designs for different purposes, including social media and print.
• Apply visual hierarchy, alignment, contrast, spacing and typography to improve design clarity.
• Use templates, images, graphics, colours and brand elements while maintaining a professional and consistent look.

Module 2 — Plan Your Marketing Content: From Message to Visual Story

• Identify the target audience, communication objective and key message before designing.
• Structure content using effective headlines, supporting information and calls to action.
• Plan a social media carousel using a simple visual storytelling structure.
• Explore Canva and AI-assisted tools to generate content ideas, headlines and creative directions.

Module 3 — Create Engaging Social Media Content

• Design a multi-page social media carousel with a consistent visual style and clear content flow.
• Apply typography, imagery, colour and layout to guide the audience from one frame to the next.
• Add simple animation and transitions to create movement that supports the message.
• Optimise carousel content for readability, mobile viewing and audience engagement.
• Create and export an animated social media carousel for practical use.

Module 4 — Create Professional A3 Marketing Collateral

• Understand the key considerations when designing content for print.
• Structure an A3 poster using Headline → Key Message → Supporting Information → Call to Action.
• Apply visual hierarchy, typography, imagery, spacing and branding to communicate information quickly.
• Create an A3 poster for a workplace, business, event, campaign, product or service.
• Review, refine and export the completed design as a professional marketing collateral.

Who should attend

Methodology

Testimonial

Charmaine Lee's Profile

Charmaine is a dynamic trainer with over a decade of experience helping professionals embrace a growth mindset through creativity and technology. Known for her clear, engaging, and hands-on teaching style, she is the go-to trainer at CCISG for innovation, AI, and design-focused workshops.

Her bestselling CCISG course — Unlocking the Power of ChatGPT: Your AI Assistant at Work — has helped hundreds of professionals boost productivity, streamline content creation, and confidently integrate AI into their daily tasks. Charmaine is also highly sought after for her expertise in visual communication, especially through tools like Canva and PowerPoint, making her workshops both practical and immediately applicable on the job.

Beyond her public workshops, Charmaine has led global curriculum projects for organisations such as The World Bank, Schneider Electric (France HQ), and the ASEAN-Korea Cooperation Fund, adapting content to fit both corporate and regional contexts.

Whether you're looking to master AI prompting, design compelling visuals, or tell powerful stories with digital media, Charmaine’s workshops deliver the skills and creative confidence today’s professionals need.