CANVA Guide

All ALSA UK volunteers need to know their way around Canva

Where do I begin?

Canva training is completed during your probationary period when you first join ALSA UK. The training consists of a pre-recorded video created by Ardit, which provides an introduction to Canva, explains how it is used within ALSA UK, and outlines how to create content in line with our branding guidelines.

If you would prefer a more interactive approach, a one-to-one training call can also be arranged upon request.

How do I log in?

Access to the ALSA UK Canva workspace will be provided by either Ardit or the Volunteer Development Lead (Erza). Once you have been invited, simply accept the invitation using your own personal Canva account, or create a free account if you do not already have one. You will then be able to access the ALSA UK team workspace by logging in with your own email address and password.

Whenever you need to use Canva, visit www.canva.com and sign in using your personal account credentials. Once logged in, you will have access to the ALSA UK team workspace and its shared resources.

The Canva UI

The Canva UI may look confusing but there are main parts that you will need to know about:

The main canva home page will show you the most recent designs of everyone in ALSA UK.
The sidebar on the left will have all the main features and the one you're going to use the most is the Folders.
In Folders you have all the different folders. The ones you need to be aware of are: "ALSA UK","Templates", "Marketing Folder", and "Ready to be Checked".

Steps to making a post

The Canva video guide summarises how you make posts as a new volunteer:

Link to video: https://youtu.be/X2nwc1HXcg0?si=ZAaZaDxuCXruh32V

(the video is checked regularly for updates but if something isn't clear, message Ardit)

Log into Canva and go to the folders menu on the side
Go to the folder labelled 'Templates' and click it to go into the folder
Hover over the template you want to use
Click the three dots that will appear over the post and click the line that says “make a copy of post”
After you make a copy of the post go to the top of the screen and change the title from “copy of template post” to “Your Name - What your post is about”
Then go to “File” and then “Move folder” and move it to the folder Labelled 'Ready to be Checked' (which can be found inside the folder called Marketing Team)
Then you edit the post as you wish, making sure to stick to the ALSA UK brand.
Make sure you add your name and caption to the last page of the post.
Let your team know that you have completed the post and its in the 'Ready to be Checked' folder

Remember if you have any questions or need a refresher on how to do the above, you can message Ardit on Slack.

Post checklist

We have put together a checklist of things that should be included in every ALSA UK post. Following this checklist makes sure posts are clear, professional, and easily recognisable as ALSA UK.

Visuals

Include the official ALSA UK logo (on every slide, even if it's small in the corner of the page)*
Stick to the ALSA UK brand colours* - no unapproved shades/colours
Font must be Montserrat
Graphics - should you add any graphics from canva, make sure they are professional and aligns with ALSA UK's values
Photos - any photos from ALSA UK events/activities must be professional, high-quality, avoid overly casual filters or heavy edits

Text:

Tone: Professional, inclusive, and clear. Friendly but respectful.
Spelling & grammar: Double-check for errors once completed
Language: Avoid slang, controversial statements, or jargon that excludes audiences.
Readability: Short paragraphs, bullet points, or line breaks where needed. Posts typically do better when there is less text!
Caption: every post you create must also have a relevant caption to follow alongside it - you can add this as a comment

Things to avoid:

Do not use any political party logos, offensive symbols or gestures (anything that goes against our Zero Tolerance policy), or any branding that is not connected to ALSA UK.

*As a reminder, you can find the ALSA UK Brand directly on Canva to make things easier! This ensures you have easy access to brand logo, fonts and colours! Just click on the 'brand' icon located in the left menu bar when creating a post - see below.

When creating a post, you must choose from one of the templates that are readily available for you located in the 'Templates' folder in Canva, unless you have discussed otherwise with your team lead. Just remember to make a copy before making any edits.