Canva to restructure and cut jobs affecting 22 percent of staff

Design software company Canva is overhauling its organization in a shakeup that will affect 1,271 people, or 22 percent of its workforce, co-founder and chief executive Melanie Perkins announced today.

"For some people, this will mean changes to their roles or being asked to relocate to centralised hubs," Perkins said. "Sadly, it will also mean saying goodbye to teammates and friends who have helped build Canva into what it is today."

In a note sent to staff, Perkins said the company had weighed other options before settling on the restructuring. "After exploring a wide range of alternatives, I've come to the difficult conclusion that small changes won't be enough," she wrote. "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."

As part of the reorganization, Canva is merging its Product, Growth and Platform teams into a single product organization. The company described the effort as "simplifying layers" and "consolidating overlapping responsibilities" across the business.

The changes also come with a geographic shift. Canva said Sydney will become the "primary home for more of our product teams, as well as roles in other Specialties where shared context and close collaboration are especially important." That means some employees who keep their jobs will be asked to move to one of the company's centralised hubs.

Canva is also tightening its office attendance policy. Starting in January, most hybrid employees will be expected to spend two to three days per week in an office, with the exact number varying "depending on what makes sense in your area," according to the company.

Workers who are leaving Canva as a result of the cuts will receive a severance package that includes at least six months of salary. The company said departing staff will also get twelve months of healthcare coverage and access to career support resources.

The announcement marks one of the most significant restructurings in Canva's history, as the design platform moves to reshape itself around smaller teams and fewer management layers heading into its next decade.