Canva

Canva, from Canva. Designing slides, posters and social graphics quickly, with AI help.

What it does well

• Turning an outline into a designed slide deck
• Posters and flyers for events and research days
• Resizing one design for several formats
• Generating a draft image or text block to edit

What it does poorly

• Data-heavy charts: use your analysis tool
• Anything that needs exact USC brand compliance without checking

What makes it different

A full design tool with AI built in (Magic Studio), so the AI output lands in something you can edit by hand.

Quick start

1. Start from a presentation template and paste your outline into Magic Design.
2. Replace the stock images that don't fit.
3. Use Magic Write for a first draft of speaker notes, then rewrite them in your voice.
4. Export to PowerPoint if your course requires it.

Strengths and limits

• Strength: Very easy
• Strength: Huge template library
• Strength: Good for non-designers
• Limit: Designs can look generic
• Limit: Best AI features need Pro

Privacy

Designs are stored in Canva's cloud. Keep confidential material out of shared folders.

Academic integrity

Say so when images are AI-generated, and follow your course's rules on AI in assignments.