By Hamza Faisal
Australian design platform Canva has announced a sweeping restructure affecting 1,271 people, about 22% of its workforce, in the first redundancy round of the company's 13-year history. Co-founder and chief executive Melanie Perkins told staff in a memo on Wednesday that the changes would reshape how the company is organised, where its teams are based, and what roles it needs.
Perkins described the moment as "without doubt the hardest moment in our thirteen-year history" and said the company must "refound" itself for its next decade. The restructure reaches across Canva's teams in 37 countries, with affected staff set to receive one-on-one meetings with senior leaders and a company-wide all-hands meeting scheduled for November 10.
One important nuance: the 1,271 figure is the total number of people affected, not a confirmed count of redundancies. It covers three different outcomes — some people will leave the company, some will have their roles changed, and some will be asked to relocate to central hubs. Canva has not said how many fall into each group.
Growth slows for the first time in a decade
Perkins told staff that 2026 has been Canva's "hardest year yet" and that its growth has slowed for the first time in a decade. The company reportedly cut its 2026 revenue growth forecast from 30% to 20% in August, and its largest venture backer, Blackbird, cut its valuation of the company by 17% to $34.9 billion that same month.
In her memo, Perkins pointed to how fast the industry is changing, writing that "new technology is transforming what people can create, how they create it, and what they expect from the products they use." She said management had explored a range of alternatives before concluding that "small changes won't be enough."
One product organisation, centred on Sydney
Under the restructure, Canva will merge its Product, Growth and Platform teams into a single Product Org, cutting management layers in a bid to give teams clearer ownership and more autonomy. Sydney will become the primary home for more of its product teams, and some staff will be asked to relocate.
From January, most hybrid employees will be expected in the office two to three days a week. Perkins said the goal is to return Canva to smaller, empowered teams whose members can make decisions, take ownership, and concentrate on community priorities.
Support for departing staff
Departing employees will receive at least six months' salary, including statutory entitlements, and 12 months of continued healthcare where Canva provides it. They will also be able to keep their work laptops.
Canva is also setting up a new Canva Collective Fund, which will provide $10,000 grants to departing employees pursuing businesses or community projects. The company, which has grown into one of the world's most widely used design platforms and a leading challenger to Adobe, is the latest technology firm to reduce headcount as the sector adapts to rapid advances in artificial intelligence and changing business needs.
