The 5 Most Common Design Mistakes Beginners Make

This blog isn’t written for full-time designers chasing artistic perfection. It’s for the admin staff putting together weekly reports, the teachers making classroom slides, the marketers creating posters for an upcoming event, or the small business owners promoting their next launch.

If you’ve ever had to design something for work — but never learned design formally — this is for you.

Beginners often try to be creative from scratch — and that’s exactly where it gets difficult.

Because when you don’t have the experience or visual library to fall back on, you’re making dozens of creative decisions without much guidance.

• What layout should I use?
• Which font pairs well?
• Where do I even begin?

We’ve seen this happen often: the moment someone tries to be “original,” they freeze. Not because they lack ideas, but because they don’t have a starting point.

Even professional designers don’t start with a blank canvas. They look for inspiration. They build moodboards. They use templates. Creativity thrives on reference — and beginners need to hear that more often.

So here are the five biggest design mistakes we see beginners make — and what to do instead.

Why it goes wrong:

One of the hardest parts of designing — especially for beginners — is facing a blank canvas. You open up Canva, but nothing comes to mind. It feels like you’re expected to come up with something original right away.

But the truth is, even experienced creatives don’t start from scratch.

If you’ve ever joined a photo shoot, worked with designers, or been involved in a campaign, you’ll notice something they always bring to the table — a moodboard, a visual reference, a few examples of “I want to do something like this.” That’s the starting point.

What to do instead:

Start by finding inspiration before creating. Look through posters, ads, templates, Instagram, Pinterest, or even your past projects. Study what works and what catches your eye.

Inspiration isn’t copying — it’s learning. It helps reduce creative decision fatigue. You’re not guessing fonts or layouts — you’re borrowing structure and making it your own.

Beginners need to lean on existing designs to build confidence. Once you do that enough times, creativity will come naturally.

Why it goes wrong:

Some people still believe using templates is “cheating” — but in reality, it’s how 225 million people design every month. That’s how big Canva has become, because it empowers people from all backgrounds to design confidently without a design degree.

The power of Canva lies in its templates — pre-made, beautifully structured designs ready for your content.

What to do instead:

Use templates not as a crutch, but as a base. Whether it’s a poster, presentation, resume, or event banner — start from a template that suits your goal, then customise it to fit your message.

Templates are teaching tools in disguise. By using them, you start to understand spacing, font pairing, visual balance, and more — without even realising it.

This point also connects back to Point 1: don’t put pressure on yourself to start from scratch. You can be creative within the structure.

Why it goes wrong:

Sometimes, a design just doesn’t “feel right” — and it’s hard to explain why. The layout is off, the text is hard to follow, or something feels messy. Most of the time, it comes down to not understanding the basics.

Design isn’t about creativity alone — it’s about clarity. And without a solid foundation, it’s easy to get lost.

What to do instead:

Learn and apply five simple principles: alignment, contrast, hierarchy, proximity, and white space. These aren’t just for “designers” — they’re for anyone trying to make visuals that look clean and professional.

We explain them simply here:

👉 5 Design Principles Anyone Can Learn

Mastering just these five will already make your work look 10x more polished — and it gives you a clear checklist to follow for every design.

Why it goes wrong:

One mistake that’s not talked about enough — even among experienced designers — is the lack of communication and preparation before starting the design.

The back-and-forth that happens? It usually stems from one thing: unclear objectives. No one clarified the format, where it’ll be used, or what needs to be in the design. That leads to changes, delays, and frustration.

What to do instead:

Design starts before you open Canva. It starts with asking the right questions:

• What’s the purpose of this design?
• Where will it be shown — social media? projector screen? print?
• Should it be square, vertical, or landscape?
• Who is it for?

Clarify all this upfront. Make a checklist. Communicate clearly with whoever gave you the task. Don’t be afraid to ask.

The smoother the workflow, the faster (and better) the final result. This doesn’t just save time — it builds trust in your work.

Why it goes wrong:

Perfectionism sounds noble — but in design, it can become a trap. You can spend hours adjusting an element from 46 degrees to 50, or nudging a box 2 pixels to the left, all in the name of getting it “just right.”

But does it really make a difference?

Sometimes we spend too much energy perfecting the least important parts, and that delays progress.

What to do instead:

Ask yourself:

• Will people notice this change?
• Does it improve the message or just satisfy me?
• Is this tweak worth the extra time?

Design is about communication. Focus on the parts that help people understand your message. Don’t get stuck polishing details no one will see.

Progress over perfection. Done is better than perfect — especially when you’re designing under pressure.

A great design isn’t just something that looks “nice.” It’s one that gets the message across clearly and effectively.

If you’re designing a slide for your class, a flyer for your department, or a proposal for your client — your job is not to impress, it’s to communicate.

So keep learning. Keep showing up. And let tools like Canva support you along the way.

You’ve got this!

As the first Canva Agency Partner in Malaysia & Southeast Asia, we don’t just train people to use Canva — we help teams design with purpose and confidence.

Our Canva services include:

• Customised training sessions for teams and organisations
• Canva for Business onboarding
• Canva Enterprise rollout and setup
• Brand Kit and template design systems

🎓 Here are 4 Canva courses we recommend:

• Canva Essentials: A Beginner’s Guide to Design
• Canva for Business: Mastering Visual Design for the Workplace
• Design Eye-Catching Posters & Flyers with Canva
• Canva for Presentations: Design Engaging & Impactful Slides

👉 Contact us today — we’ll help your team design more effectively!