Creating Content for Social Media: Testing Design Readability in Canva
I want to talk to you about an important step in creating content for social media platforms: ensuring the readability of your designs, especially when viewed on mobile devices.
As creators, we often work on large screens, but it's crucial to remember that our audience will likely be viewing our content on smaller screens, such as their mobile phones. I want to share some essential tips for testing and adjusting the readability of your Canva content to make sure it looks great on various social media platforms.
Canva Tutorial: Making Sure Your Design Looks Good On Mobile Devices
Testing Readability for Mobile Viewing
When it comes to creating social media content in Canva, one of the key factors to consider is how your design will appear on mobile screens. To ensure that your text and elements are readable on smaller devices, it's important to test the readability of your design at a reduced size.
I recommend a simple step: using the zoom function in Canva to adjust the size of your design.
Using The Canva Zoom Function
In Canva, you can easily access the zoom function by locating the zoom slider at the bottom of your workspace. By using this slider, you can adjust the size of your design to replicate how it would appear on a mobile device. I suggest zooming out until your design is around 28% to 30% of its original size. This reduced size is closer to how your content will be displayed on mobile screens, allowing you to evaluate its readability in a more accurate context.
Design Readability Assessment
Once you've adjusted the size of your design, take a moment to assess the readability of your text and elements.
Are the fonts clear and legible at the reduced size?
Can the overall layout be easily comprehended on a smaller screen?
If your content remains easy to read and understand at this reduced scale, you're on the right track. This simple test can help you ensure that your social media content is optimized for mobile viewing.
Considering Template Design and Sizing
We understand the importance of optimizing designs for mobile viewing. That's why our templates are crafted with mobile screens in mind, ensuring that the elements are properly sized for optimal readability on smaller devices. If you're using our templates, you can rest assured that the design elements have been carefully considered to enhance readability on mobile screens.
However, if you're creating content from scratch, it's crucial to always consider the mobile viewing experience. By following the suggested testing process, you can proactively address any readability issues and make necessary adjustments to optimize your designs for mobile platforms.
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Manu Muraro is the founder of Your Social Team, an Instagram training membership and template shop that help social media managers and Instagram-savvy small business owners to grow engagement and sales using Instagram and content marketing, without the overwhelm. Born and raised in Brazil, Manu moved to the U.S. in 2000 right out of college to work for Cartoon Network, where she made an award winning career in creative and strategy. In 2021, Manu started Your Template Club, a Canva template subscription service to help social media professionals and Canva-savvy business owners to create content that performs on Instagram, add more Instagram features into their strategy, such as Instagram Lives and Reels, and save time.