Branded templates vs Canva, Word and InDesign: how should your studio make documents?
Every studio lands on some way of producing proposals and schedules, usually with the tools they already have. Here's an honest comparison of the common approaches, and where each one quietly breaks down.
Word and Google Docs
The default for many studios, because everyone has them and everyone can type. They're fine for plain text, but they fight you on layout, and holding a brand together across documents and team members is a constant, losing battle. The result tends to look like a document, not like your studio.
Canva
Quick and approachable, and genuinely good for one-off graphics. The trouble is that it invites everyone to nudge the design, which is exactly how brand consistency drifts — and structured documents like a detailed schedule of finishes aren't where it's strongest.
InDesign
The professional standard for layout, and what most genuinely polished studio documents are designed in. The catch is that it's a designer's tool. It isn't something the whole team can safely use to produce a document quickly, and the source file is easy to break in the wrong hands.
The trade-off nobody escapes
Across all three there's the same tension. The tools that produce beautiful documents are slow and risky in non-designers' hands; the tools anyone can use produce inconsistent results. Most studios simply pick which problem they can live with.
Where a template system fits
A branded portal sits in between. The document is designed properly once, then locked, so anyone can produce a correct, on-brand version by filling in a form. You get layout-grade output with document-editor ease — and because the design is locked, it can't be broken on a deadline.
Choosing for your studio
If you send client documents rarely, the tools you already have may be enough. If they go out often, across a team, and represent your brand every time, the cost of inconsistency and wasted hours usually outweighs the convenience of the status quo.