Australian design software company Canva announced a major restructuring on November 3, 2026, affecting 1,271 employees, or approximately 22% of its global workforce. The changes include job losses, changes to existing roles, and possible employee relocations. However, the company has not confirmed how many of the affected employees will actually lose their jobs. The announcement attracted widespread attention in Australia on November 4 as Canva outlined plans to simplify its operations and prepare for future growth.
Canva co-founder and CEO Melanie Perkins shared the decision with employees in a company-wide message. She described the restructuring as one of the most difficult decisions in Canva’s 13-year history. According to Perkins, the company needs to change how its teams are organized, where employees work, and which skills are required to support its long-term plans.
The restructuring follows a difficult year for Canva, with the company reporting that its growth has slowed for the first time in a decade. Perkins said Canva’s existing team structures had become increasingly complex, making it harder for employees to coordinate work and take responsibility for larger projects. The company wants to return to smaller teams with clearer responsibilities and greater decision-making power. Its leadership believes these organizational changes are necessary to support future growth and respond to changing customer expectations. The restructuring comes amid a wider industry debate about tech companies cutting jobs while increasing AI investment, although Canva has not identified AI as the direct cause of its own workforce changes.
One of the biggest changes involves combining Canva’s Product, Growth, and Platform teams into a single product organization. Previously, these departments handled different parts of product development, which sometimes required employees to coordinate across multiple teams. By bringing them together, Canva hopes to simplify decision-making, reduce delays, and allow employees to take greater responsibility for projects.
The company also plans to reduce management layers and combine some responsibilities that are currently divided among different teams. This approach is intended to make operations more efficient and give employees greater flexibility. Canva believes smaller teams with broader responsibilities will help the business respond more quickly to customer needs and technological developments.
Another important part of the restructuring involves employee locations. Canva plans to make Sydney, Australia, the main working location for more of its product teams. Some employees may be asked to move closer to central offices, while others could face changes to their existing positions. Starting in January 2027, most employees working under hybrid arrangements will also be expected to attend the office approximately two to three days each week, depending on local requirements.
The restructuring will affect 1,271 employees, but not everyone in this group will lose their job. Some employees will move into different roles, others may be asked to relocate, and some positions will be eliminated. Canva has not publicly confirmed the exact number of layoffs. The company plans to arrange individual meetings with affected employees to explain their situations and available support. Because Canva has teams across 37 countries, the timing and procedures may vary depending on local employment requirements. Australian broadcaster ABC News reported on the restructuring on November 4, highlighting the planned relocation of some employees and the financial support offered to departing workers.
Canva has announced several financial and career-support benefits for employees leaving the company. Departing workers will receive at least six months of salary, including applicable legal entitlements, regardless of their location. In countries where Canva already provides healthcare coverage, that benefit will continue for 12 months. Employees will also receive 12 months of access to Canva Care, the company’s employee assistance program, with support extending to family members. Career assistance will include one-on-one coaching, interview preparation, resume support, and one year of LinkedIn Premium. Canva will also remove the one-year equity-vesting cliff for employees who joined during the past year and offer an optional alumni talent directory to help departing staff find new opportunities.
Canva will also allow departing employees to keep their company-issued MacBooks. In addition, the company is launching the Canva Collective Fund, which offers US$10,000 grants to departing workers who want to start businesses or develop meaningful community projects. Employees leaving as part of the restructuring have until December 14, 2026, to register their interest in the program. Canva has stated that it will not claim ownership or equity in any projects developed through the grants.
The restructuring comes as artificial intelligence continues to change the software and digital design industries. Canva has expanded its AI-powered design capabilities, including Canva AI 2.0, which introduces tools for creating editable designs and automating parts of creative workflows. Although Perkins acknowledged that new technology is changing customer expectations, Canva did not explicitly identify artificial intelligence as the cause of the job cuts. Instead, the company pointed to slower growth, complex organizational structures, and the need for clearer responsibilities and closer collaboration between teams. Separately, TechBonafide has covered AI-generated code review at Canva, examining how AI tools are changing the work of senior software engineers.
For Canva users, the restructuring raises questions about future product development and services. The platform remains widely used by content creators, students, businesses, and marketing teams for presentations, graphic design, and social media content. Canva is also featured in TechBonafide’s guide to photo-editing apps for Instagram, which explains how its templates and design tools can be used to create social media graphics. Canva has not announced any product shutdowns, subscription-price changes, or service interruptions as part of this restructuring. While the new organizational structure is intended to improve internal efficiency, its long-term effects on Canva’s products and users remain uncertain.
Canva plans to hold a company-wide meeting on November 10, 2026, to discuss the restructuring and answer employees’ questions. Additional organizational meetings are expected to begin on November 11. In the meantime, affected employees will receive information about their roles, possible relocations, and available support. The restructuring represents a major turning point for the Australian software company as it works to address slower growth and reorganize its global operations.
