Canva wins global Apple ‘connection’ award

Australia’s multibillion dollar online success story Canva has starred at Apple’s global technology awards.

Canva co-founder and chief product officer Cameron Adams.

Australia’s multibillion dollar online success story Canva has starred at Apple’s global technology awards. Canva’s graphics design platform which lets users create a host of social media graphics including designs, presentations and videos was honoured in the awards.

Canva was recognised in the “connection” category. This year Apple’s store editors announced “connection” as the trend of the year and Canva came up trumps with its software that’s accessed in 178 countries via the Apple app store. Canva supports more than 100 languages.

Apple said of Canva: “Offering elegantly simple design tools and gorgeous templates, Canva helps users tap into their entrepreneurial spirit by making design simple for professionals, students, job-seekers, community leaders, and teams of every kind.”

Apple CEO Tim Cook said that in 2021, apps played a more essential role in people’s lives than before. “They helped keep us moving forward in a year that continued to challenge us in so many ways, as a global community and in our own lives.”

A graphic produced using Canva.

He said the developers who won App Store awards in 2021 had harnessed their own drive and vision to deliver the best apps and games of the year.

“I’ve been lucky to meet developers of all ages and backgrounds, from all around the world. For all their diversity, the common thread is a passion for creating apps that improve and enrich people‘s lives.

“We’re proud that the App Store has helped make it possible for their innovations to flourish. And today, we celebrate the amazing apps they’ve built, and all the lives they’ve touched.”

Apple also recognised the 15 best apps and games at its 2021 awards event.

Toca Boca won best iPhone app of the year with Toca Life World, which was launched a decade ago but lauded for continuing to bring the art of play and self expression to children.

LumaTouch won best iPad app with its LumaFusion video editing app which Apple said made video editing faster, less intimidating, and more portable for creators.

Canva co-founders Cameron Adams (left), Cliff Obrecht and Melanie Perkins (CEO).

Luki Labs won Mac app of the year for Craft which Apple said creatively enabled efficiency and artistry through a notebook with seemingly limitless capabilities.

Sports subscription video streaming service Dazn and Carrot Weather also were honoured.

League of Legends: Wild Rift, Marvel Future Revolution, Myst, Space Marshals 3 and Fantasian won gaming awards.

Co-founder and chief product officer at Canva Cameron Adams said 23 Canva designs were created on iPhones and iPads every second.

He said Canva had driven connectivity through the digital economy. “Communication isn‘t just about words anymore. It’s photos, illustrations, video and even sound,” Mr Adams said.

“Visual communication is everywhere, and it‘s why 65 million people actually rely on Canva to help them to communicate effectively.

“It creates this point of connection, which ties into what Apple is really trying to talk about this year through the App Store awards.”

Canva on the iPad.

He said user-developed Canva presentations had “skyrocketed” during the pandemic and customers had created millions of Zoom backgrounds on the platform.

More than two million videos were created on the Canva platform every day.

He said 65 million people used Canva each month and more than 100 million accessed it each quarter.

Mr Adams said Canva had launched its first iPad app in 2014 and that was followed with an iPhone app in 2016.

“We are extremely proud of our team who have poured a lot of passion and effort into iPhone and iPad apps over the years. The recognition that Apple has given us this year that Canva is one of the best apps in 2021 is really a true testament to their hard work.

“Apple‘s App Store ecosystem has been instrumental in growing Canva’s community over the past seven years. It’s allowed us to keep pushing the bar higher and higher for the extremely simple but powerful experience that Canva is well known for.”

He said Canva had focused on bringing all the features available on its desktop application to the iPhone and iPad.

“‘We’ve actually got to the point now where everything pretty much launches synchronously on the iPhone as well as it does on our website and on our tablet app.”