Kanvas got a new framework for the whole organization's visual content

With 69 preschools across Norway, Kanvas has a lot to communicate. A poster needs to go up in a hallway, parents need information and staff need invitations to training sessions. All of it in Kanvas's name and brand.

At Kanvas, making sure the right images, logos and visual identity follow along all the way is a particular challenge. At the same time, the organization wants its people to have the freedom to find and create the materials they need on their own.

With Mediaflow, Kanvas has brought its image bank, sharing and design templates together in one platform. The result is easier access to the right materials and much better conditions for a consistent look, whether content is produced at the head office in Oslo or at an individual preschool.

The challenge

Giving the organization access to files at a reasonable license cost

Kanvas has long understood the value of a dedicated system for storing and organizing its images and video. But its previous solution came with a license cost that was hard to justify when around 600 employees across nearly 70 preschools needed access to the files.

There was no place to share materials easily without each user logging in to the system. The work behind the scenes also created unnecessary admin. When new tags were added to images, existing tags could be overwritten, which made it tedious to keep improving the metadata and make the archive more searchable.

"Our starting point for switching from our previous solution was probably the price, first and foremost. We felt it was expensive. And it was also a somewhat cumbersome solution," says Head of Communications Synne Alsaker.

When Kanvas started looking at alternatives, Mediaflow quickly became the most interesting option. The pricing fit the organization's needs better, and the interface felt more intuitive.

The solution

One image bank for all of Kanvas, without hundreds of logins

Today Kanvas uses Mediaflow as its central image bank for photos, profile pictures and logos, among other things. The materials end up in everything from PowerPoint presentations and websites to information sent out to parents.

The single biggest difference is the open portal, where employees can find and use approved materials without every user needing a Mediaflow account.

When the platform launched, Kanvas presented it at regional meetings and made it available through the company intranet. That gave the organization one shared way in to its visual content, no matter which preschool or part of the organization people work in.

Kanvas also uses Mediaflow when working with external ad agencies, sharing folders and materials easily via web links with people outside the organization.

Design templates help keep the brand together

Images aren't the only thing that has become easier to manage. With design templates in Mediaflow, employees can create materials themselves from ready-made, on-brand templates.

Kanvas uses the templates for posters in the preschools, email newsletters and various kinds of invitations. The professional development department also has its own template for its lunch webinars, with a distinct visual style within the Kanvas identity.

"In the past, people used the wrong logos and poor-quality images, and the result often depended on the design skills of the individual employee," says Synne.

With ready-made templates, getting it right from the start is much easier.

"It's absolutely brilliant. We've never had a solution like this before, so it's great for us."

AI handles part of the work behind the scenes

Working with the image archive itself has also become easier. New images automatically get AI-generated tags in Mediaflow, giving Kanvas a better starting point for keeping its materials searchable and well organized.

The next step is to keep cleaning up and structuring the existing archive and to improve the tagging of older images.

The result

Easy to create on your own, without getting it wrong

For Kanvas, the gain goes beyond switching from one DAM system to another. Mediaflow has made it possible to open up the organization's materials to many users without costs growing with every person who needs an image.

At the same time, the design templates have made it easier for employees to create materials that look like Kanvas. The result: fewer homemade workarounds, the right logo in use and a more professional, consistent look.

Looking ahead, there are more pieces to connect. As part of an upcoming website upgrade, Kanvas is exploring a direct integration between its CMS and Mediaflow. The goal is to pick images straight from the image bank instead of downloading them and uploading them again, ideally with automatically generated alt text.

That carries on the thinking behind the switch from the start: the right materials should be easy to find, easy to use and easy to get right.

"I don't spend all that much time in Mediaflow, but when I do, everything is really quick and easy," says Synne. "It's intuitive. And I've already recommended Mediaflow to others in the same situation as us. It works really well."

About Kanvas

• Organization: Norway's largest nonprofit preschool foundation
• Founded: 1986, as a parent initiative
• Preschools: 69
• Located in: 12 Norwegian municipalities
• Employees: approx. 1,300
• Children: approx. 4,300
• Head office: Oslo
• Purpose: To create better conditions for children growing up and an easier everyday life for parents through high-quality preschools. Kanvas also works to develop the preschool sector through professional development and fresh thinking.
• Ownership: Nonprofit foundation. Any surplus is reinvested in the organization.