Australian graphic design platform Canva is set to cut 1,271 jobs, representing approximately 22 per cent of its workforce, as the company restructures its operations following a slowdown in growth.
The job reductions, announced on Wednesday, make Canva the latest technology company to overhaul its workforce amid rapid advances in artificial intelligence, changing business priorities and pressure to improve operational efficiency.
Canva co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Melanie Perkins, said the restructuring would affect the company’s organisational structure, team locations and staffing requirements.
As part of the changes, Canva plans to merge its product, growth and platform teams into a single product organisation. The move is intended to reduce delays caused by multiple handovers, give teams greater responsibility and speed up decision-making.
The company will also reduce management layers and consolidate overlapping roles to improve accountability and streamline its operations.
Another major change will involve relocating more of its product teams to Sydney, which will become the main base for those operations. Some employees will be asked to move to the city as part of the restructuring.
Canva also plans to tighten its hybrid working arrangement. From January, most employees on hybrid contracts will be expected to work from the office between two and three days a week.
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To support employees leaving the company, Canva will provide departing staff with $10,000 grants to help them pursue future opportunities.
The restructuring follows a slowdown in Canva’s growth, marking the first time in a decade that the company has experienced a deceleration in its expansion.
Although Canva has not described the job cuts solely as an artificial intelligence-driven exercise, the changes come as technology companies increasingly reorganise their operations to respond to AI advances and evolving business demands.
Other major technology firms have also announced significant workforce reductions as they redirect resources towards new priorities.
Enterprise software company Atlassian cut 1,600 jobs in March as part of efforts to increase investment in artificial intelligence and enterprise sales.
Australian software company WiseTech Global also announced plans in February to eliminate nearly a third of its global workforce as part of a two-year restructuring linked to its AI overhaul. The company subsequently reduced its planned cuts to approximately 26 per cent in August.
Canva, founded in Australia in 2013, has grown into one of the world’s widely used online graphic design platforms, offering tools for creating presentations, social media graphics, marketing materials and other visual content.
Its restructuring signals a significant shift in the company’s operations as it adjusts its workforce, management structure and product teams to respond to changing market conditions.
About the Author
Cecilia Attah is a tech analyst with a degree from Benue State University. She covers tech news and startups at TechRegard with a focus on how technology is transforming Africa and shaping the global landscape.
