name: canva-design-terminology
description: |
Design knowledge base for understanding design terminology, concepts, and best practices.
Use this skill when user asks about design terms, needs guidance on design principles,
or wants to understand Canva-specific features. Provides educational information,
not direct Canva operations. Reference skill for other skills to consult.
allowed-tools:
- Read
- Glob
- Grep

Canva Design Terminology Skill

A knowledge base for design terminology, principles, and Canva-specific concepts.

Scope of This Skill

This skill handles:
- Explaining design terminology
- Design principles and best practices
- Canva-specific features and terms
- Color theory basics
- Typography fundamentals
- Layout principles
- Format and dimension guidance
- When to use which design type

NOT handled by this skill:
- Actually editing designs → Use editing skills
- API operations → Use other skills
- Generating content → Use canva-content-generator

Design Principles Reference

The Fundamentals

1. Hierarchy

The arrangement of elements to show importance.
- Visual hierarchy uses size, color, contrast to guide the eye
- Most important element should be most prominent
- Create clear reading order

2. Balance

Distribution of visual weight.
- Symmetrical: Mirror image, formal, stable
- Asymmetrical: Unequal but balanced, dynamic
- Radial: Elements radiate from center

3. Contrast

Difference between elements to create interest.
- Light vs. dark
- Large vs. small
- Thick vs. thin
- Color opposites

4. Alignment

How elements line up with each other.
- Creates clean, organized appearance
- Invisible lines connect elements
- Left, right, center, or justified

5. Repetition

Recurring elements create unity.
- Repeat colors, fonts, shapes
- Creates brand consistency
- Establishes visual rhythm

6. Proximity

Grouping related elements together.
- Related items should be close
- Unrelated items should have space
- Creates logical groupings

7. White Space (Negative Space)

Empty areas in design.
- Gives elements room to breathe
- Increases readability
- Creates elegance and sophistication

Color Theory

Color Models

Color Harmonies

• Complementary: Opposite colors (high contrast)
• Analogous: Adjacent colors (harmonious)
• Triadic: Three evenly spaced colors
• Split-complementary: One color + two adjacent to its complement
• Monochromatic: Variations of one color

Color Psychology

Typography

Font Categories

Typography Terms

• Kerning: Space between specific letter pairs
• Tracking: Overall letter spacing
• Leading: Line spacing (line-height)
• Font weight: Thickness (light, regular, bold)
• X-height: Height of lowercase letters
• Baseline: Line text sits on
• Ascender: Part above x-height (like 'h')
• Descender: Part below baseline (like 'g')

Typography Best Practices

1. Limit fonts - 2-3 maximum per design
2. Create contrast - Pair different styles
3. Hierarchy - Different sizes for different purposes
4. Readability - Adequate size and contrast
5. Line length - 45-75 characters ideal

Canva-Specific Terms

Design Elements

Canva Features

Design Types

Image Terms

Resolution & Quality

Image Formats

Composition Terms

Layout Principles

Grid Systems

• Column grid: Vertical divisions
• Modular grid: Rows and columns
• Hierarchical grid: Based on content importance
• Baseline grid: Aligns text across columns

Common Layouts

Print vs. Digital

Key Differences

Print Terminology

Accessibility

Design for All Users

1. Color contrast - WCAG 2.1 minimum 4.5:1 for text
2. Don't rely on color alone - Use patterns, labels
3. Readable fonts - Adequate size, clear typeface
4. Alt text - Describe images for screen readers
5. Logical order - Clear reading sequence

Contrast Checker

Good contrast examples:
- Black text on white: 21:1 ✓
- Dark gray on light gray: 4.5:1+ ✓

Poor contrast examples:
- Light gray on white: 2:1 ✗
- Yellow on white: 1.5:1 ✗

Quick Reference Cards

Social Media Dimensions (2024)

Instagram:
- Post: 1080x1080 (1:1)
- Story: 1080x1920 (9:16)
- Reel: 1080x1920 (9:16)

Facebook:
- Post: 1200x630
- Cover: 820x312
- Story: 1080x1920

LinkedIn:
- Post: 1200x1200
- Banner: 1584x396

Twitter/X:
- Post: 1600x900
- Header: 1500x500

YouTube:
- Thumbnail: 1280x720
- Banner: 2560x1440

Font Pairing Suggestions

Classic combinations:
- Montserrat + Merriweather
- Playfair Display + Source Sans Pro
- Roboto + Lora
- Oswald + Open Sans
- Raleway + Libre Baskerville

Using This Skill

When other skills need design knowledge:
1. Query this skill for terminology
2. Get recommended practices
3. Check dimension requirements
4. Verify accessibility guidelines

This is a reference skill - it provides information but doesn't perform actions.