Struggling to start that essay? Dreading another group project? Canva’s AI tools might just become your new secret weapon.

We spoke with Canva expert Paul Hamilton – an educator and Apple Professional Learning Specialist who trains students and educators to embrace creative technology – to find out how students can get the most out of Canva’s features.

Need to turn numbers into something meaningful? Magic Charts transforms them into narratives. You can paste in raw data and instantly explore different visualisations to paint the story behind the numbers.

Pro tip: “Do keep charts simple – one message per visual. Use callouts or annotations to highlight insights,” advises Hamilton. “Don’t just drop a chart in and move on – you should explain what it means. That’s where learning happens.”

Group projects and study planning get a creative upgrade with Canva Sheets. You can lay out tasks, set deadlines and embed visuals – all in one place.

Pro tip: “Treat it like a collaborative roadmap,” Hamilton suggests. “Use Magic Layouts and keep it clean – one focus per row. Add icons or emoji as column headers for a fun twist, like ticks for completed tasks. Use conditional formatting to colour code progress. And don’t be afraid to embed charts or visuals directly into the Sheet. It helps you see the project flow, not just read it.”

Every good essay starts with a good idea, but coming up with one can be the hardest part. Magic Write helps you get past that first hurdle by suggesting angles, outlines and prompts based on your topic.

Pro tip: “Don’t try to write the perfect sentence – start by asking Magic Write for ideas,” Hamilton says. “Try prompts such as ‘Give me five angles to explore the impact of climate change‘. Think of Magic Write as a sounding board. It’s there to spark your thinking, not replace it.”

Pressed for time? Magic Design lets you upload key content – such as bullet points or quotes – and instantly generates presentation layouts that look slick.

Pro tip: “Start by uploading your content – key points, quotes or visuals – and let it suggest layouts,” Hamilton says. “Then personalise. Use your school colours or subject theme… tweak the layout, font or image.”

Need an image that doesn’t exist yet? Just describe it. From science diagrams to abstract ideas, Text to Image helps you bring your imagination to life.

Pro tip: “Think in terms of what, where, mood and how,” says Hamilton. One student described entropy as “a crumbling sandcastle at the edge of a rising tide”. The result? A metaphor-rich visual that deepened class discussion. “Prompting is part of the creative process.”