Creating a Logo in Canva

A logo you can actually use

Canva is a favourite tool for simple logos. The recipe: a clean icon (built from shapes) beside a wordmark (the name in styled text), tested at small sizes. In this lesson you build one from scratch.

Start with a logo size

Tap Create a design and choose Logo (500 x 500) or a Custom size of 1000 x 1000 px. Bigger is better for a master logo you will resize later.

Build the icon from shapes

Open Elements and search for simple shapes - circles, leaves, stars, geometric shapes. Combine 1-3 shapes into an icon: for a bakery, a circle with a leaf; for a salon, a simple wave; for a service, a clean geometric mark.

Add the wordmark

Add the business name in a bold font beside the icon. Keep the icon and name on the same horizontal line, aligned to the same middle line. Add a small tagline underneath for a finished look.

Design in one colour first

Build the logo in black and white first. If the shapes read clearly, add your brand colour. A logo that only works because of colour is a weak logo.

Test it

Download the logo and look at it tiny in your gallery. If the icon blurs or the name is unreadable, simplify. A logo must work at 50 px and at 5 metres.

Tip: Keep the logo simple enough that someone could describe it to a friend in one sentence. That is the mark of memorability.

Warning: Never copy another business's logo or use complex clip-art symbols as your identity. Original and simple wins trust.