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Today is the second anniversary of a federally recognized Juneteenth national holiday. Becoming law in 2022, many American companies are still in the dark about this important day and how to celebrate it in an authentic way. As a result, several brands have missed the mark and with it, an important chance to connect with their consumers.

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Once the new kid on the block, Canva is now a giant in the graphic design world. An accessible way to design everything from a logo to an Instagram story, the online platform has become a one-stop shop for marketing teams across the globe. Whether you’re a mom and pop shop or working at a multi-million dollar advertising agency, chances are you’ve encountered Canva more than once.

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On June 14th, Canva hosted Canva Extend, its first Developer Conference. in San Francisco. There, the company unveiled a $50m Innovation Fund to support app developers and encourage creativity. They also announced the launch of a new SDK (Software Development Kit) and more robust APIs, allowing developers to build applications on top of the Canva platform. Developers will be able to monetize their creations through off-platform billing and Canva is looking into additional monetization strategies as well.

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“The fund is intended to be agile, so we can evaluate our users’ needs and the needs of our community and use it to build the most sustainable ecosystem possible.” - Anwar Haneef, Canva’s Head of Ecosystem

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What does this mean for us regular (non-developer) folk?

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It means you’re going to start to see an extended App Marketplace full of fun, innovative, and useful applications to enhance your use of the software. The Canva team even built their new APIs to support AI development so you’re likely to see more AI tools in the near future as developers test the waters.

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At Canva Extend, the company also showcased more than 20 apps that have either been made available on Canva in recent weeks, or will be coming soon. Click Here for a full list of the new and noteworthy apps. Here are some of our favorites:

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- DataPocket - Access your product catalog images or pricing information from the leading e-commerce platforms directly in Canva to help you design your next social media graphic, ad banner and more.

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- Dynamic QR Codes - Add stylish QR codes powered by Hovercode to your designs without leaving Canva.

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- Google Drive - Access your files and assets from within Canva with this updated app, and upload your finished designs straight to your Google Drive.

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- Mockups - Bring your designs to life with a free product mockup generator.

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- Amazon - Add images from an Amazon listing to your Canva design and check it against Amazon guidelines before publishing to the Amazon Creative Asset Library.

OK, talk about a game changer! Our minds are already running through all the different ways we can use these new apps for our clients. These solutions are a dream come true for e-commerce stores looking to easily design product graphics and even for general organization (hello Google Drive app!). Don’t worry, we’ll keep an eye on the marketplace over the next few months and check back in with our favorite finds.

Happy Creating!