Unlocking AI-Powered Design at Scale
Transforming Custom Ink's design capabilities through strategic Canva App Store integration during a week-long hackathon.
135M
Canva users gained access to Custom Ink products
4
Days to Working MVP
100%
AI Integration unlocked without internal development costs
The AI Design Challenge
Custom Ink's homegrown Design Lab faced mounting pressure to keep pace with the rapidly evolving AI design landscape and growing marketplace of sophisticated design tools.
🛠️
How do we level up our own design tooling?
Keeping internal design capabilities competitive with rapidly advancing external platforms and AI-powered tools
📱
How do we keep up with the growing marketplace?
Staying relevant as sophisticated design apps emerge with advanced features and AI capabilities
🎯
How do we provide users access to the best tools?
Ensuring our customers have access to cutting-edge design capabilities for their creative needs
🤖
How do we leverage emerging AI tech?
Integrating artificial intelligence capabilities without massive internal development investment
Market Reality Check
Our internal analysis revealed significant challenges:
Design Tool Evolution
🤖 Competitors rapidly adopting AI-powered design features
🚀 Customer expectations rising for intelligent design assistance
💸 Internal development costs escalating for advanced AI capabilities
Customer Behavior Insights
In Canva we can find things that we like. One of the [Custom Ink orders] I just did, I did in Canva just because it was so much easier to lay it out and use the AI image generation.
💡 Tradeoff: Internal Control vs. External Leverage
We originally considered building AI-powered design tools directly into our internal Design Lab. But doing so would’ve required months of engineering time, stretched our limited AI resources, and delayed delivery. Instead, we pivoted toward leveraging Canva’s platform and SDK—giving us immediate access to 135M users and robust AI features like Magic Design, without reinventing the wheel.
Strategic Misalignment
🔻 Continuing to build on homegrown platform came at increasing cost
🔻 Valuable partnerships with established design leaders remained unexplored
🔻 AI development resources stretched thin across multiple initiatives
Hackathon Innovation Challenge
Leverage INKOVATE (annual hackathon) week to prototype a Custom Ink app for Canva's App Store, demonstrating the value of strategic AI integration partnerships while establishing foundation for broader design platform collaboration.
Cross-Functional Team
👥
UX Leadership
1 Director
+ 1 Principal Architect
+ 1 Associate Designer
🛠️
Engineering
2 Engineering
Managers
📊
Strategy
1 Business
Strategist
My Leadership Objectives
🎯 Innovation Facilitation
Lead cross-functional team through rapid prototyping methodology to deliver working MVP within hackathon timeframe
📚 Strategic Vision Development
Evangelize AI integration strategy through partnership rather than internal development, demonstrating long-term platform thinking
🤝 Partnership Foundation
Establish proof-of-concept for deeper Canva collaboration, creating pathway for ongoing AI tooling integration
⚡ Rapid Value Demonstration
Build compelling business case for strategic partnerships over internal AI development through working prototype
Success Criteria
✅ Deliver functional Custom Ink app within Canva ecosystem
✅ Demonstrate seamless design-to-order workflow
✅ Prove viability of AI integration through partnership
✅ Generate stakeholder enthusiasm for partnership strategy
4-Day Innovation Sprint
Led intensive 4-day hackathon using Canva App SDK, systematically building integration through collaborative workshops and rapid iteration cycles.
🗳️
Preparation
Pre-Hackathon Strategic Foundation Setting
Conducted comprehensive opportunity assessment and technical feasibility analysis to maximize hackathon productivity.
Key Activities
🔶 Analyzed Canva's 135M user base and $25B valuation opportunity
🔶 Researched Canva Developer platform and $50M innovation fund
🔶 Identified integration points with Custom Ink's product catalog
🔶 Prepared technical documentation for Canva App SDK implementation
📚
Day 1
Vision Alignment & Technical Setup
Established shared vision for AI integration strategy while initiating technical implementation with Canva SDK.
Key Activities
🔶 Facilitated visioning workshop on AI integration through partnerships
🔶 Mapped user journey from Canva design to Custom Ink fulfillment
🔶 Initialized development environment with Canva App SDK
🔶 Defined MVP scope and success metrics for week deliverable
📝
Day 2
Building the Bridge Between Platforms
Collaborative development of core app functionality, enabling Canva users to visualize designs on Custom Ink products.
Key Activities
🔶 Implemented design import from Canva to Custom Ink product mockups
🔶 Integrated Custom Ink product catalog within Canva interface
🔶 Established design-to-product visualization pipeline
🔶 Created initial user interface for product selection and customization
🛑 Mid-Flight Pivot: Prioritizing Seamless UX Over Feature Depth
Midway through this day, we saw our MVP was over-scoped—features like font uploads and deep editing cluttered the UI and clashed with Canva’s simplicity. I made the call to streamline and focus on a clean design-to-order flow. That pivot helped us deliver a working MVP in 4 days and win stakeholder buy-in.
📊
Day 3
Optimizing the Design-to-Order Flow
Focused intensive on user experience optimization, ensuring seamless workflow from design creation to product ordering.
Key Activities
🔶 Refined product visualization and mockup generation
🔶 Implemented cart functionality within Canva ecosystem
🔶 Optimized design positioning and sizing algorithms
🔶 Conducted internal user testing and iteration cycles
📝
Day 4
Demo Preparation & Strategic Presentation
Synthesized 4-day development into compelling demonstration of partnership strategy value and future collaboration opportunities while exploring advanced AI integrations.
Key Activities
🔶 Tested integration with Canva's AI image generation tools
🔶 Explored Magic Design functionality for Custom Ink product contexts
🔶 Created comprehensive demo showcasing complete user workflow
🔶 Developed business case presentation for leadership review
🔶 Documented technical architecture and integration approach
🔶 Outlined strategic partnership roadmap and next steps
Revolutionary Platform Integration
The hackathon delivered a functional MVP that demonstrated the transformative potential of strategic AI partnerships, opening access to Canva's massive user base while unlocking advanced AI capabilities.
135M
Users gained access to
Custom Ink products through Canva
AI
Capabilities unlocked using Canva's Magic Design
1
Working prototype
delivered within Canva ecosystem
3
Strat Dev partners ready to sponsor an enterprise project
Long-Term Strategic Value
🎉 Partnership Foundation: Established proof-of-
concept for deeper Canva collaboration
📈 Scalable AI Integration: Created pathway for ongoing AI tooling access through partnership
🔄 Platform Strategy Validation: Demonstrated value of integration over internal development
⚡ Rapid Innovation Model: Proved effectiveness of hackathon approach for strategic initiatives
📊 Business Development Opportunity: Opened discussions for potential fulfillment partnership
🎯 Competitive Advantage: Positioned Custom Ink ahead of competitors in AI adoption
🤝 Cross-Platform Value Creation: Enabled mutual value through expanded user access and product catalog
🔧 Technical Architecture Success: Built scalable foundation for future integrations
Future Partnership Possibilities
🔗 Asset Sharing Opportunities
-
Share Custom Ink's 84,000 clipart pieces (including exclusive Charles S. Anderson library)
-
Provide access to 500 Custom Ink fonts (including exclusive House fonts)
-
Integrate 8,000 Custom Ink design templates into Canva ecosystem
📦 Fulfillment Partnership Potential
-
Become behind-the-scenes fulfillment partner for Canva
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Expand Canva's product catalog with Custom Ink's decoration methods
-
Improve Canva's fulfillment quality and delivery speed
-
Reduce Canva's blank and printing costs
🤝 Quid Pro Quo Integration
-
Drive Canva subscriptions through Custom Ink Design Lab integration
-
Cross-promote platforms for mutual user base growth
-
Share AI development costs through strategic partnership
🏆
UX Leadership & Innovation Success
🏆
Successfully demonstrated how strategic partnerships can accelerate AI adoption and platform capabilities more effectively than internal development
"This prototype established the foundation for ongoing partnership discussions and validated our platform integration strategy" - demonstrating sustainable innovation leadership through collaborative partnership development.
💡 Key Leadership Lessons
⏰
Strategic
Timing
Leveraged hackathon environment for rapid innovation and stakeholder buy-in on partnership strategy
👥
Cross-Functional
Facilitation
Led diverse team through complex technical integration while maintaining strategic vision alignment
🤝
Partnership-First
Innovation
Demonstrated value of strategic partnerships over internal development for advanced AI capabilities
🌱
Scalable Vision
Development
Created foundation for long-term platform strategy through successful proof-of-concept execution
💡 What I'd Do Differently Today
While the MVP proved the value of partnership-led innovation, I see even more ways today to expand its potential and deepen impact. If I were leading this effort now, I would:
🤝
Establish Partnership
Alignment Earlier
Set up clearer shared success metrics and deeper collaboration rituals with Canva upfront—beyond just technical integration—to unlock faster joint decision-making and roadmap alignment.
🤖
Test AI-Assisted
Onboarding Flows
Introduce lightweight AI prompts to help users quickly personalize their designs or choose products based on intended use—reducing friction and showcasing AI value more clearly.
📊
Embed Usage Analytics
into the Prototype
Set up post-diagnosis surveys and automated Net Promoter Score (NPS) capture to better understand drop-off points, emotional responses, and opportunities for care follow-up.
🌎
Localize the Experience
for Global Reach
Plan from day one for multilingual support and localized product availability, especially given Canva’s massive international user base.
📦
Prototype Fulfillment
Integration Sooner
Explore back-end fulfillment workflows earlier—connecting design to delivery—to show not just design feasibility, but full operational viability.
⚡
Design for Cross-Promotion
from the Start
Build in UI hooks to encourage traffic back to Custom Ink or incentivize Canva Pro users to explore branded merchandise creation—creating a true flywheel between platforms.