When a client is chasing visuals, what scares me most isn’t not knowing how—it’s picking the wrong tool
Last night at 10 p.m., I was still revising a client poster, and version four still felt off.
I’ve been stuck there too: it wasn’t that I wasn’t trying hard enough. I just started with the wrong tool, and the more I edited, the messier it got.
This isn’t about “picking one of three”—it’s about where we’re stuck right now
I only figured this out later: Canva is like a ready-made template shop, great when time is tight; Adobe Firefly is more like an accelerator for existing assets, better when we’re already retouching or revising images; Midjourney feels more like a creative sparring partner, better for finding style and visual direction first. Last Wednesday afternoon, Amin, who was making a yoga class poster in Tianhe, Guangzhou, was replying to client WeChat messages in a coworking space while using Canva to get a first draft out in half an hour. And my friend Zhou, who designs course covers, often starts with Midjourney to find the mood, then goes back to Canva to make it usable. I got this wrong before too—I tried to force Midjourney into making a promo graphic that was supposed to be ready to deliver, and the text placement was awful. I lost the whole evening to rework.
If we want to copy this today, the cost is actually pretty low
Money: RMB 0-100 is enough to try one round first. Time: 30-60 minutes. Technical barrier: no coding needed; being able to type and pick images is enough. If I wanted the safest place to start, I’d open Canva first and click “Create a design.” If I were already using Photoshop, I’d try Firefly first for image fill-ins or background changes. If what I lacked most was style direction, I’d start by using Midjourney to generate three sets of references. Not everyone needs this method right now, and that’s fine. Even if we don’t try it today, it’ll still be there next time a client starts chasing us for visuals.
If we’re at different stages, this is how I’d choose
Just starting out: if I were still taking one-off freelance jobs, I’d begin with Canva and get the “deliverable” part working first.
With 1-2 clients: if I were already constantly revising old client images or product shots, I’d try Firefly to save time on repetitive retouching.
Scaling up: if I were starting to make content series, course covers, or brand visuals, I’d use Midjourney as the inspiration front end, and Canva or Firefly as the delivery back end. We don’t have to get everything perfect in one move. Cutting down on rework matters more than picking the “strongest” tool on the first try.