Women in Design . . . Cat van der Werff
In the lead up to Women in Design Day 2025: Moments of Change—an annual event dedicated to fostering community, celebration, and education among women in the design industry in Aotearoa New Zealand—we’ll be releasing interviews with each of our speakers to give you a sense of their career journeys and the types of conversations we’ll be diving into at the live event.
Today we are chatting with Cat van der Werff, Executive Creative Director at Canva, who is headlining Women in Design Day 2025 with a keynote address,
Who/what were your early creative influences?
One of my early creative influences wasn’t a designer—it was actually a town planner. I first learned about Jaime Lerner in a lecture at Elam, and his approach to solving urban challenges with creativity stuck with me. As the mayor of Curitiba, Brazil, he introduced ideas that were incredibly innovative for their time:
- He reduced traffic congestion by launching the world’s first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, making public transport fast, efficient, and affordable with dedicated lanes and train-like stations.
- Instead of expensive equipment, he brought in sheep to graze the city’s parks—an eco-friendly solution that also funded children’s programs through wool sales.
- In slum areas where garbage trucks couldn’t reach, he introduced a trash-for-food program, where residents could trade collected waste for food and bus passes.
- To clean up the bay, he paid fishermen for every pound of garbage they pulled from the water, tackling pollution while supporting the local economy.
This was the first time I really understood that creativity isn’t just for designers—it’s essential in every industry.
What inspires you creatively now?
I’m lucky to work for a company led by an inspiring and creative founder, Melanie Perkins.
A decade ago, Melanie was teaching design at university when she spotted a gap in the industry. She turned a bold idea—making design accessible to everyone—into Canva, now one of the world’s most successful tech companies.
Her mission is simple: empower as many people as possible to achieve their goals. Canva isn’t just about design—it’s about giving everyone the tools to create, communicate, and succeed, no matter their background or skill level.
She’s also deeply committed to doing good, with a Two Step Plan:
- Build one of the most valuable companies in the world.
- Use that value to help secure basic human needs for everyone on the planet.
Step One fuels Step Two—so the more we grow, the more impact we can make. It’s a pretty motivating mission to be part of!
Can you describe your career path?
I started out thinking I’d be an artist. I went to Elam Art School, but I quickly realised I preferred solving real-world problems over painting abstracts. So, I switched to Graphic Design—which led to a 10-year career in brand agencies. That journey took me around the world, from Designworks in Auckland to Landor in Paris and Re Agency in Sydney, working on some incredible global brands.
In 2017, I had my son and took a year off. That time gave me space to reflect—how could I use my creativity for good and help make the world a better place for him? Right on cue, Canva called. When I heard about their mission, I was sold. I joined as Canva’s first brand designer in 2018—back when we had no creative team and no marketing department. Fast forward to today, I lead a team of over 100 creatives, our marketing efforts span 19 countries, and over 220 million people use Canva every month. It’s been quite a ride!
What does your typical workday look like?
At a fast-growing company like Canva, you’re constantly learning and evolving. I’m always balancing leadership, hands-on creativity, and big-picture thinking—which means no two days look the same. But I do try to create a rhythm across the week:
Monday is my focus day—no meetings, just deep work on things like setting goals, writing briefs, and thinking big-picture. It’s my time on the balcony, not the dance floor.
Tuesday is for the dance floor—diving into priority projects and getting things moving.
Wednesday is for creative feedback. In the afternoon, I host Cat Chats—open sessions where anyone on the team can book time to share work in progress and get feedback.
Thursday is all about 1:1s with my coachees, giving space for deeper conversations and mentorship.
Friday is for bigger group meetings, including Marketing and stakeholder catch-ups. Once a month, we wrap things up with Creative Show & Tell, where all 150 creatives share their work and wins. We spin a wheel to pick the host, and every session ends with the Rock Awards—shouting out teammates who truly embody our values.
Do you have a project, made memorable because it challenged you? What did you learn from that work?
I come from a branding background, so when I joined Canva, I had to learn a lot on the job—like what a ‘funnel’ is and what marketing buzzwords like retention, recall, and awareness actually mean. With every campaign, I got a little better at making ads.
But my very first TV ad? A bit of a flop. It failed what I now call “The Mum Test.” When my mum saw it on TV in Aotearoa New Zealand, she said, “Nice, dear… but what was it about?” That stung, but it taught me a big lesson: we’re marketing a design platform to people who don’t see themselves as designers. If they don’t instantly get how Canva works, we’ve lost them.
So, we started testing ads like we do our products—making rough prototypes, showing them to real people, and asking: “Would you use this?” and “Was anything confusing?” We’d test, tweak, and repeat until the message was crystal clear. Only then would we take it to production and make it 1,000 times better.
How do you foster innovation in your work?
I’m lucky to work at an innovative tech company where our creative work evolves alongside product innovation. I encourage the team to take risks, learn from failure, and challenge the status quo.
Collaboration is key—great ideas rarely happen in isolation. We create space for open sharing, rapid prototyping, and unexpected sparks of inspiration.
One way we push creativity beyond the usual briefs is through our annual Holiday Story initiative. It’s a chance for the team to go wild—anyone can pitch an idea, and the winning concept gets brought to life by anyone eager to upskill or try something new. Last year, our heartwarming story starred a rabbit named Mr. Whiskers, which led the team to dive into the world of hand puppetry!
What do you think career/creative success looks like?
Creative success is knowing your work has meaning. It’s about being proud of what you create, staying curious, and constantly learning—while growing alongside a team that pushes and inspires you.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received?
Hire people who are better than you: Leave your ego at the door—great teams are built by bringing in people you can learn from. Surround yourself with those who challenge, inspire, and push you to be better.
Focus on impact, not titles: A fancy title won’t make your work great, but great work will earn you recognition. Keep learning, growing, and focusing on making a real impact—the rest will follow.
And the worst?
Play it safe.
What barriers have you seen in the design industry throughout your career? How have they affected your work?
Motherhood is often seen as a career barrier, and I get why—it’s a big shift. But I believe maternity leave can be an incredible gift for your creative career. When else do you get the time to pause, reflect, and reset? It’s a chance to step back and ask: Am I climbing the right ladder? Or is there a better one?
With my first child, that time off helped me find the next chapter of my career. With my second, it gave me a fresh perspective.
I took six months off from leading the Canva team, and in that time, they shipped some amazing creative work. After six years deep in the brand, it was eye-opening to see it from the outside—more like a customer would. It also gave others in the team space to take ownership and step up in their own roles. Turns out, stepping away can be just as valuable as leaning in.
What do you hope for the future of design in Aotearoa New Zealand?
I hope to see design in Aotearoa New Zealand continue to embrace its unique cultural roots, with Māori and Pasifika perspectives shaping more of our visual and creative identity on the world stage. Kiwi ingenuity has always been a driving force for creativity too—our ability to think outside the box, do more with less, and come up with fresh, unconventional ideas is something truly special. I’d love to see this spirit fuel even more bold, world-class design!
Cat van der Werff | Executive Creative Director, Canva
Cat is a proud Kiwi, a mum of two, and the Executive Creative Director at Canva, where she’s on a mission to empower the world to design and make a meaningful impact along the way.
Since joining Canva in 2018 as the company’s first brand designer, Cat has drawn on over 15 years of branding expertise to build and scale Canva’s in-house creative agency. Today, this world-class team of 100+ creatives drives innovation across brand, campaigns, social, performance, and production, shaping Canva into one of the most loved brands globally.
Cat thrives on leading inspired teams to deliver exceptional creative work at scale. She believes in the transformative power of design to improve lives and create a better future for all.
Visit canvacreative.team to see her team’s work and connect with Cat on LinkedIn (note, Cat has declared that she is very slow at replying).
Women in Design Day 2025— taking place on 21 March in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.
This is your opportunity to unplug and reconnect with your practice. An annual event dedicated to fostering community, celebration, and education among women in the design industry in Aotearoa New Zealand. Through out the day you’ll be able to enjoy hands-on activities, time in nature, and hear the inspiring stories from our speakers – enjoying shared experiences and validating experiences as women navigating a career in design.
*Design Assembly Friends use your discount codes to access our discounted ticket options.
