CTRL + CREATE: Canva Unlocked — AI-Powered Brand Systems for Creatives
CTRL + CREATE: Canva Unlocked — AI-Powered Brand Systems for Creatives
Session Overview
Led by Emmy-nominated producer and Co-Founder of AI & The Culture, Shirley Williams-Toney has spent 15+ years building brands and storytelling systems across media and tech (AT&T, Microsoft, Vice, Condé Nast). She uses Canva + AI workflows to create pitch decks, brand kits, and social assets that have helped scale communities, launch programs, and drive 100M+ global views.Many creatives use Canva for quick graphics — but few use it as a true brand system.
In this session, we’ll explore how Canva’s AI-powered tools can help you create organized, repeatable design systems for your brand. Instead of starting from scratch every time, you’ll learn how to structure your assets, templates, and workflows so creating content becomes faster, easier, and more consistent.
Whether you’re building a personal brand, promoting a business, or supporting a creative project, this workshop will help you turn Canva into a practical design engine for your work.
What We’ll Cover
• How to organize your Canva workspace for consistent branding
• Using Canva’s AI tools to generate and refine design assets
• Creating reusable templates for social, presentations, and marketing
• Building a simple brand system inside Canva
• Structuring your design workflow so you’re not reinventing the wheel each time
What You’ll Walk Away With
• A clearer Canva workspace organized for brand consistency
• A practical approach to creating reusable templates
• A basic AI-assisted workflow for generating visual assets
• A system for producing brand-aligned content more efficiently
• Greater confidence using Canva as a strategic creative tool
EXPERIENCE LEVEL: BEGINNER
This session is designed for people who are new to using Canva as a strategic tool or who want a clearer, more organized way to create consistent visuals for their work. No advanced design experience is required.
Who This Is For
• Creatives building a personal or professional brand
• Early-stage founders creating their own marketing materials
• Consultants, educators, and community builders who design content regularly
• Anyone who wants a more structured, less stressful approach to visual creation
About Shirley Williams-Toney
Shirley Williams-Toney is an award-winning storyteller and AI technologist who helps individuals and organizations learn, adapt, and implement AI in practical, sustainable ways. Through workshops, consulting, and strategic advising, she focuses on making emerging technology accessible, grounded, and human-centered.
Learn more at:
www.shirleywilliamstoney.com
CTRL + CREATE is a bi-weekly, free virtual workshop series designed to help creatives, founders, and culture-shapers build practical confidence using AI and thoughtful systems.