Canva thinks you’re doing data visualization wrong
Design platform rolls out native data-viz tools
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Canvathinks businesses are doing data wrong. And it’s rolling out a tool to fix that.
The company has announced the launch of interactive data visualizations built right into thegraphic design software. These are engaging data maps, charts, graphs that make things seem just that little bit clearer. Most users will have toyed with them on news sites like the BBC. Now, they can add them to their own photos, PDFs, and presentations.
The move follows the acquisition of UK data-viz platform Flourish, as the Aussie firm ramps up its Europe presence.
Data ≠ dull
Data is tricky to present - especially to an audience who may be unfamiliar or unengaged with the topic. AnExcel-generated bar graph, faded and static, will struggle in a content-rich world. The death yawn of a thousand sales pitches andPowerPointslides. The last sigh of a think-piece.
And while the company didn’t put it quite like that, it’s this thinking - that data needs to be like everything else: visual - driving the roll-out. So, there’s no excuse for making data boring.
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Users will already find standard charts and graphs on the platform - we’ve always found them somewhat basic and uninspired. But from today, users can embed Flourish visualizations into their designs. Users get access to native hierarchical treemap and packed circle charts straight from the app, with Canva promising “animated charts, zoom-able maps, explorable diagrams, and more.”
That Flourish is deepening integration into Canva will come as no surprise. It’s not the first by any measure, with the firm countingstock photo sitesPexels and Pixabay amongst its relatively recent acquisitions. Meanwhile, it’s been quietly building out the platform with afree PDF editor,website builder, and AI photo tools.
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Readers may spot a common thread among the acquisitions: they’re all European businesses. Then came the opening of its first European campus in London. It seems the continent is where Canva sees its growth potential, with the company calling it home to some of its “fastest growing and most densely populated markets.” Just don’t tellAdobe Expressabout Canva’s continental plans.
Steve is TechRadar Pro’s B2B Editor for Creative & Hardware. He began in tech journalism reviewing photo editors and video editing software at the magazine Web User, where he also covered technology news, features, and how-to guides. Today, he and his team of reviewers test out a range of creative software, hardware, and office furniture. Once upon a time, he wrote TV commercials and movie trailers. Relentless champion of the Oxford comma.
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