Skip to content
Home » Working with Elements, Shapes, Lines, and Icons

Working with Elements, Shapes, Lines, and Icons

🧱 Working with Elements, Shapes, Lines & Icons in Canva

🎯 Lesson Objective

By the end of this lesson, students will:

  • Understand what Elements are and how they function in Canva
  • Learn to use Shapes, Lines, Icons, and Illustrations effectively
  • Explore how to combine elements to enhance design composition
  • Discover tips to maintain balance, consistency, and professionalism

🧩 1. What Are Canva Elements?

In Canva, Elements are the design ingredients — reusable graphic assets that can be added, edited, and layered to build a composition.

Elements include:

  • Shapes (squares, circles, rectangles, etc.)
  • Lines (borders, dividers, underlines)
  • Icons (simple pictograms or symbols)
  • Graphics & Illustrations
  • Frames & Grids (for images)
  • Stickers & Animations (for dynamic designs)
  • Charts & Graphs (for data visualization)

🪶 Pro Tip: You can find all of these under the “Elements” tab on the left sidebar in the Canva editor.

🎨 2. Shapes — The Foundation of Composition

Shapes are essential for structure and emphasis. They can act as backgrounds, buttons, highlights, or containers for text and images.

🪄 How to Use Shapes:

  1. Go to Elements → Shapes.
  2. Choose a shape — square, circle, triangle, blob, or abstract shape.
  3. Resize or rotate it as needed.
  4. Change color under the top color palette.
  5. Use it for:
    • Background highlights behind text
    • Section dividers
    • Framing icons or photos
    • Creating geometric patterns

🪶 Pro Tip: Use semi-transparent shapes (adjust opacity) to make text stand out over photos.

➖ 3. Lines — Guiding the Viewer’s Eye

Lines help define structure and add visual flow. They’re subtle but powerful tools for organization.

🪄 How to Use Lines:

  1. Search “line” in the Elements panel.
  2. Choose straight, dotted, curved, or hand-drawn styles.
  3. Adjust thickness, length, and color.
  4. Use lines to:
    • Separate sections of text
    • Underline or highlight headlines
    • Connect icons or steps in a process
    • Create minimalist layouts

🪶 Design Tip: Horizontal lines feel calm and stable; diagonal or curved lines add energy and movement.

🔆 4. Icons — Communicating Without Words

Icons are small, symbolic graphics that simplify complex ideas. Canva has a huge library of both static and animated icons.

🪄 How to Use Icons:

  1. In Elements, type a keyword (e.g., “email,” “camera,” “heart”).
  2. Filter by Graphics, Photos, or Icons.
  3. Choose a consistent style — outline, filled, or flat.
  4. Adjust size, color, and alignment to match your layout.

🧠 Best Practices:

  • Use icons to support, not replace, text.
  • Keep style consistent — mixing too many icon types breaks design harmony.
  • Use icons sparingly — only where they add clarity.

🪶 Example: In a business presentation, use icons for contact info (phone, email, website) instead of words.

🖌️ 5. Illustrations and Graphics

Illustrations add personality and flair — perfect for branding, storytelling, or making posts more engaging.

🪄 How to Use:

  1. Search for terms like “illustration,” “cartoon,” or specific topics (“teamwork,” “nature”).
  2. Apply filters — color, static, or animated.
  3. Combine multiple illustrations to create a themed layout.

🪶 Pro Tip: Stick to one illustration style (e.g., flat, line art, or 3D) across your project for consistency.

🖼️ 6. Frames and Grids — For Image Organization

Frames and Grids let you drop images into shaped containers automatically — perfect for photo layouts, collages, and product mockups.

🪄 How to Use Frames:

  1. Go to Elements → Frames.
  2. Drag a frame (circle, phone mockup, shape).
  3. Drag any image or video into the frame — it snaps perfectly.
  4. Double-click to reposition the image within the frame.

🪄 How to Use Grids:

  1. Search “Grids” under Elements.
  2. Select a multi-cell grid layout.
  3. Drop photos or colors into each section.
  4. Use for collages, carousels, or moodboards.

🪶 Pro Tip: Combine frames with brand colors or icons to create elegant branded layouts.

⚙️ 7. Customizing Elements Like a Pro

Canva allows flexible control over every element. Teach students to experiment and personalize.

ActionHow to Do It
ResizeClick and drag the corner handles
RotateHover outside corner and drag the rotate arrow
Color ChangeUse color picker at top menu
TransparencyUse checkerboard icon (top-right)
Layer OrderRight-click → Move forward/backward
Group ElementsSelect multiple items → “Group” (Ctrl/Cmd + G)

🪶 Tip: Layering shapes, text, and icons strategically adds depth to your composition.

💡 8. Practical Design Uses

Element TypeCreative Use Example
ShapesHighlight quotes or product names
LinesCreate a visual divider between sections
IconsSimplify infographics or contact sections
IllustrationsAdd character and style to presentations
FramesShowcase photos in creative shapes

🧠 9. Practical Activity for Students

Goal: Create a design using at least four different Canva element types.

Steps:

  1. Open a blank Instagram Post (1080 × 1080 px).
  2. Add:
    • A background shape
    • A decorative line or divider
    • 2–3 icons related to your message
    • An image inside a frame
  3. Adjust colors and transparency for visual harmony.
  4. Save your design as “Elements Practice.”

Result: A visually balanced, professional post demonstrating composition control.

🗣️ Discussion Prompts

  • Which element type did you find most useful for your design style?
  • How did layering or transparency affect your layout?
  • What mistakes did you notice when using too many elements?

✨ Key Takeaways

  • Elements are the visual toolkit of Canva — the building blocks of design.
  • Shapes and lines structure layouts; icons and illustrations communicate ideas.
  • Use frames and grids for professional image placement.
  • Consistency, alignment, and restraint make designs look polished and balanced.