Leading content design at Canva (Sally Bagshaw)

Writers of Silicon Valley

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Canva is a true (Aussie) tech success story, and the content design practice there is no small reason why.

One of the people leading that practice is Sally, Head of Content Design at Canva.

Sally and I dive into how Canva has built one of the strongest content design practices in the world, why leadership is about more than managing people, and what content designers need to do to grow their careers. We also discuss why content design in Australia often feels a few steps behind the global stage and what Canva is doing to set an example.

This was such an honest and motivating conversation, and I think it’ll resonate with anyone working in content or design, especially those navigating fast-paced environments.

Timestamps:

(0.52) Content design at Canva (4.28) Sally's work experience and history (8.30) Growing Canva's content design team (10.44) How Canva content designers approach AI (13.20) How Sally helps lead and develop her team (23.00) How leaders should prioritize (26.20) What Sally looks for when hiring (29.20) How to navigate change as a leader (32.50) Sally's biggest leadership challenges (38.15) The importance of culture and values (43.30) Psychological safety in teams (48.20) What the industry needs to change

What we talked about:

• How Sally helped build a 30-person content design team at Canva
• Why content drives the first impression users have of Canva
• The four pillars of growth for content designers at Canva
• Balancing leadership with staying connected to the craft
• How Sally helps content designers focus on impact, not volume
• The emotional side of change and why people feel loss more than gain
• Why diversity in hiring goes beyond skills to mindset and adaptability
• Navigating the challenges of a fast-growing company culture

Notable Quotes:

• “Content drives the first impression of Canva. We have a lot of responsibility to make sure that’s a good one.” — Sally
• “There’s no such thing as time management, only choice management.” — Sally
• (AI): “If we focus too much on the loss, we’ll never realize the gains.” — Sally

Where to Find Sally:

• LinkedIn