Canva announces changes affecting 22 percent of its staff

Canva is making changes that affect 1,271 people, or 22 percent of its staff, The Verge reported on Tuesday. Mezha.net also covered the announcement. Co-founder and CEO Melanie Perkins said in a note to staff that some workers will see role changes or be asked to relocate to centralised hubs, and that others will leave the company. "Sadly, it will also mean saying goodbye to teammates and friends who have helped build Canva into what it is today," Perkins said.

Perkins wrote that she explored many alternatives before deciding that small changes would not suffice. "To set ourselves up for the next decade, we need to refound Canva, getting back to our roots of small, empowered teams with the freedom to make decisions, take ownership and focus on what matters most for our community," she said.

Canva will merge its Product, Growth and Platform teams into a single product organization, a move the company called "simplifying layers" and "consolidating overlapping responsibilities". Sydney will serve as the "primary home" for more product teams and for other roles that require close collaboration.

From January, Canva will expect most hybrid staff to spend two or three days per week in the office, "depending on what makes sense in your area". Workers who leave will get at least six months of salary, a year of healthcare coverage and career support.

The announcement comes a day after Squarespace said it was laying off 19 percent of its staff. The company said the goal is to return to "small, empowered teams". Separately, People Matters reported that a KPMG survey found AI, cybersecurity and talent gaps dominate CEOs' business priorities in 2026. The KPMG findings are separate from Canva's announcement, and the survey did not mention Canva.