We continue to work with Perplexity for both research and text generation, and we have nothing but good things to say about it!

We’ve now expanded into AI art, and we’re both investigating it on our own and also taking a Stanford Continuing Education course on the subject. Below are short descriptions of a few of Anna’s most recent projects, all of which involved the Canva AI art tool and advice and counsel from Perplexity.

Anna’s “crazy crows” project in Canva

At the suggestion of the instructor of one of my recent AI courses, I tried out and subsequently subscribed to Canva. For my first project I asked Canva to turn a set of pictures I recently took of live crows into something more whimsical and cartoon-like.

My prompt was something like “Morph this image into a cartoon:  ‘crazy crow’ – make it a little deranged, not just cute.”

I was totally happy with the result!

Here is one “before” and “after” set of images.

Anna’s “domestic migration” project in Canva

I was writing a retrospective post about my family’s migration in 1951 from the Detroit area to Los Angeles, and I wanted illustrate it with a map of the United States. I was confident that Canva would have map templates of the U.S. at its disposal, and could add the graphics and labels I needed.

My prompt was something like “Start with an outline map of the U.S. Add text labels for Detroit MI and Los Angeles CA. Draw an arrow going from Detroit to Los Angeles.”

I was shocked and puzzled by the results. They were certainly “creative,” but completely detached from reality! Here is one.

How I solved my immediate problem

I solved my immediate problem by asking Perplexity to find me an existing map that I could use in my post. Although the dates for westward migration (1955-1960) in the following map from the U.S. Census Bureau were a little bit later than I wanted, it worked in my retrospective, which is the current post on newsfromnan.com.

Why Canva struggles with geographic accuracy (by Perplexity)

According to Perplexity…

“Canva is designed primarily as a graphic design and illustration tool, not as a geographic or cartographic platform. Its map templates are meant for visual storytelling, infographics, and creative presentations, rather than for precise, geographically accurate mapping.

“When you use Canva’s map templates or elements, they are essentially static images or stylized graphics, not interactive or data-driven maps. As a result, Canva does not inherently ‘know’ where cities like Detroit or Los Angeles are located on a map, nor can it reliably draw arrows that accurately represent real-world directions (such as east-to-west travel).

“While you can add arrows, lines, and labels to Canva maps, their placement is entirely manual. Canva does not have the underlying geographic intelligence to automatically position cities or route arrows based on real-world coordinates. Even when using the Google Maps integration in Canva, the result is an embedded static or interactive map, but not a fully customizable illustration that allows you to overlay creative elements with geographic precision.”

Very helpful information!

Was I expecting too much from Canva? (by Perplexity)

“Given its focus, Canva is not built to serve as a GIS (Geographic Information System) or a professional mapping tool. Expecting it to automatically understand and visually represent real-world geography–such as accurately locating cities or drawing directionally correct arrows–is beyond its intended capabilities.

“Canva excels at creative, visually engaging graphics, but it lacks the geographic data and logic required for technical map illustrations.”

What might be a better tool for my purposes? (by Perplexity)

“You are not alone in your frustration–Canva simply isn’t designed for geographic precision. For map-based illustrations that require real-world accuracy, tools like MapChart, Mapbox, or QGIS are much better suited. They allow you to label cities, draw arrows, and ensure everything is placed according to actual geography, not just creative interpretation.

My next step is to try the tools that Perplexity recommends, and I’ll share my results in a later post to this space.

Anna’s “VRJ logo” project in Canva

For many years, Dick and I were incorporated as VR Communications, LLC and this was our corporate logo.

Now that we’ve reincorporated as VRJ Associates, I’d like to update the logo by adding a “J” to the “VR.”

I provided the original logo to Canva, explained that the letters were “V” and “R,” and that I wanted it to add a “J” after the “R.” I also mentioned that I didn’t want to have to do any editing myself.

We went through many iterations, many of which were creative, but not really what I was asking for. Here is one example.

Again, I asked Perplexity for help.

AI logo generators that can follow text-based instructions (by Perplexity)

“If Canva isn’t accurately following your text-based instructions for logo modifications, several AI-powered logo generators may offer a better experience–especially for tasks like adding a letter in the same style as an existing logo, without requiring manual editing.

“For your use case–adding a ‘J’ to an existing stylized ‘V’ and ‘R’ logo without manual editing–Picsart and Pixso are the most promising options. Both allow you to upload your current logo and give text-based instructions for the AI to generate a new version, closely matching your requirements.

“If these do not produce satisfactory results, you may need to try a few different platforms or refine your prompt for greater clarity, but these two are the best starting points for minimal manual intervention.”

I’ll also try Perplexity’s suggestions for this task, and will report back on the results.