The Birth of Canva

The concept for Canva originated when Melanie Perkins, while a university student, identified the challenges fellow students faced in using complicated design software. Realizing the software's complexity limited accessibility, she envisioned a simpler, online, and collaborative design tool. To test this idea, she created Fusion Books, an online platform that allowed students to design their yearbooks, which quickly gained traction in schools across Australia and New Zealand. This initial success validated her approach and set the stage for the broader application of her vision, ultimately leading to the launch of Canva.