Design a Mascot Steel LinkedIn System

Build reusable Canva templates for one consistent Mascot Steel post each week.

Introduction

30 Second Summary

Posting once a week becomes difficult when every graphic starts from a blank canvas. A simple visual system turns that weekly deadline into a repeatable routine.

In this project, you will use Canva to build a reusable weekly design system for Mascot Steel on LinkedIn. You will turn the company’s existing project, certification, and company-story posts into repeatable content formats.

What You'll Build

Picture opening Canva each week, choosing the right Mascot Steel format, replacing the photos and message, then seeing a recognisable post ready for review.

By the end of this project, you'll have:

A reusable Project Proof template that makes finished steelwork the hero of the post.
A matching Quality Milestone template that presents certifications with a clear reading order.
A four-week posting cycle that rotates project, capability, quality, and company-story content.
Secret Mission: Build a three-slide company-story carousel using the facility, workshop, fabrication, and delivery photos.

Are there any prerequisites?

You need a Windows computer plus the Mascot Steel logo, approved brand colours, approved font information, the two certification badge files, and the photos from the three existing LinkedIn posts.

Canva Free covers the project. You do not need access to publish on the company page.

Before We Start

A clear campaign brief gives every later design choice a purpose. This is your moment to commit to the campaign goal before any hands-on work begins.

Set Up Canva and Your Assets

Audit the Posts and Set Up Canva

Mascot Steel already has three LinkedIn posts, but each uses a different visual approach. Before you design another post, you need to separate the useful patterns from the parts that feel inconsistent.

In this step, you will audit those posts, organise the approved assets, and prepare a reusable Canva workspace. This gives every future design the same starting point.

In this step, get ready to:

Identify the strongest idea in each existing LinkedIn post.
Organise the brand files, post references, and export folders.
Open a blank square Canva design with the approved assets uploaded.

Audit the three existing posts

A post audit turns previous work into design evidence. You are looking for what deserves to stay consistent, not trying to copy every old layout.

Open the screenshots of the three existing Mascot Steel LinkedIn posts.
Identify the company-story collage with one large facility photo and three supporting photos.
Identify the certification post containing the CC3 and ISO 3834 Part 2 badges.
Identify the custom-fabrication post showing the truck and security-camera structures.
Choose the steel close-up as the strongest hero image for the Project Proof template.
Record the three weekly content labels as PROJECT PROOF, QUALITY MILESTONE, and OUR STORY.

What did the audit reveal?

The company-story collage gives one image priority, which creates a clear entry point. The fabrication collage gives the truck priority even though the steelwork is the real subject.

Your new system keeps the useful documentary photography while assigning the strongest proof to the largest space.

Organise the weekly content workspace

A repeatable folder structure reduces the time between receiving a photo and starting the next post. Each file gets one predictable home.

Press Windows logo key + E to open File Explorer.
Select Documents in the left sidebar.
Create a folder named Mascot Steel LinkedIn System.
Open the Mascot Steel LinkedIn System folder.
Create three subfolders named Assets, References, and Exports.

You will see the three empty subfolders inside Documents\Mascot Steel LinkedIn System.

Copy the Mascot Steel logo, approved colour reference, font information, certification badges, and company photos into Assets.
Copy the three existing LinkedIn post screenshots into References.
Keep Exports empty for the finished weekly graphics.

Set up the Canva master design

Press the Windows key to open Windows Search.
Type Microsoft Edge into the search box.
Press Enter to open Microsoft Edge.
Visit Canva signup in the address bar.
Create or access a free Canva account by following the displayed sign-in prompts.

A Microsoft sign-in may show an authorisation screen before returning you to Canva. You will see the Canva homepage when the sign-in finishes.

Select Create a design on the Canva homepage.
Select Custom size.
Enter 1080 for the width.
Enter 1080 for the height.
Select Create new design.
Rename the design Mascot Steel LinkedIn Master.

Select Uploads in the editor sidebar.
Select Upload files.
Open Documents\Mascot Steel LinkedIn System\Assets in the file picker.
Select the approved logo, badges, and company photos.
Select Open to upload the files.

You should see a blank square design with the Mascot Steel assets available in the Uploads panel. Your weekly workspace is ready.

Your references and approved assets now have a dependable home. Next, you will turn the custom-fabrication photos into the first Project Proof template.

Build a LinkedIn Draft

Build the Project Proof Template

Your audit is complete, and the custom-fabrication photos are ready. Now you will give the finished steelwork the visual priority that the original collage lacked.

A Project Proof post shows what Mascot Steel made before it explains the details. You will use a three-photo grid so one close-up leads while the process and delivery images support it.

In this step, get ready to:

Build a three-photo hierarchy with one dominant steelwork image.
Add a short content label, headline, and project description.
Check whether the finished draft communicates the project at feed size.

Build the photo hierarchy

The largest image tells viewers what matters most. For this post, the fabricated security-camera structure should lead while the workshop and delivery views add context.

Select Elements in the Canva editor sidebar.
Select Grids under Browse categories.
Choose a three-space grid with one large area above two smaller areas.
Resize the grid until it fills the square canvas.
Select the grid.
Select Spacing in the editor toolbar.
Reduce the spacing until the photographs feel connected while a thin gap remains visible.

You should see one large empty photo space above two smaller spaces. The layout now has a clear visual order.

Select Uploads in the editor sidebar.
Drag the strongest steelwork close-up into the large grid space.
Drag the workshop or fabrication image into the lower-left grid space.
Drag the loaded-truck image into the lower-right grid space.

The steelwork close-up should now dominate the post. The two smaller images should explain how the work was produced and prepared for delivery.

Why use a grid?

Canva grids keep the collage structure stable when you replace photos next week. A fixed grid creates consistency without forcing every project to use the same photographs.

The hero space controls the story, so reserve it for the strongest proof rather than the widest available image.

Crop each project image

Grid spaces crop photographs automatically, but the first crop may hide the useful detail. Each image needs a deliberate focal point.

Double-click the steelwork close-up inside the large grid space.
Drag the image until the base plate, hollow section, or welded bracket becomes the focal subject.
Select Done to finish the hero crop.
Double-click the workshop image inside its grid space.
Reposition the image until the fabrication activity is easy to identify.
Select Done to finish the workshop crop.

You should now recognise the fabricated item and the workshop activity without reading any text.

Double-click the loaded-truck image inside its grid space.
Reposition the image until the steel load is more prominent than the empty surroundings.
Select Done to finish the delivery crop.

The three photographs should now read as one sequence: fabricated detail, workshop context, and delivery readiness.

Does a crop hide the steelwork?

Check that each photo has snapped inside a grid space. Double-click any image that shows the wrong part of the scene, then reposition it before selecting Done.

Help me improve the three photo crops.

Add the Project Proof message

The graphic only needs enough text to frame the evidence. The caption can carry the fabrication details, client value, and contact information.

Add a small text box near the top-left corner.
Enter PROJECT PROOF as the content label.
Add a larger text box below the label.
Enter Fabricated. Loaded. Ready. as the headline.
Add a smaller text box below the headline.
Enter Security camera structures as the project description.
Drag the Mascot Steel logo into the top-right corner.

The text may compete with the photographs at this stage. Step 3 turns these loose elements into the reusable Mascot Steel visual system.

Rename the design Mascot Steel - Project Proof Master.
Reduce the Canva zoom until the canvas appears roughly phone width.

Before you inspect the draft, which element do you expect to notice first?

You should notice the steelwork close-up first. The headline should identify the project state without overpowering the photographs.

You now have a visible Project Proof format built around real work. Next, you will lock the colours, typography, spacing, and logo zone that keep every weekly post connected.

Refine the LinkedIn Design

Create the Mascot Steel Visual System

Your Project Proof draft now gives the fabricated steelwork a clear lead. The next goal is to make that layout recognisably Mascot Steel before anyone reads the logo.

Consistency comes from repeated decisions about colour, type, spacing, and placement. You will turn those decisions into rules that survive when the weekly topic changes.

In this step, get ready to:

Assign fixed jobs to the approved Mascot Steel colours.
Set a reusable type hierarchy and logo zone.
Create a checklist for reviewing every weekly design.

Lock the colour and type rules

A useful brand palette gives each colour one job. Repeating those jobs is more consistent than using every colour in equal amounts.

Open the approved brand colour reference from Documents\Mascot Steel LinkedIn System\Assets.
Record the primary company colour here: primary brand colour.
Record the accent company colour here: accent brand colour.
Record the neutral company colour here: neutral colour.
Open the approved brand font information.
Record the exact font name here: brand font name.

Give every colour a job

Use the primary colour for the main label or headline panel.
Use the accent colour for one small emphasis, such as the content label or divider.
Use the neutral colour for readable text and quiet background areas.

Return to Canva in Microsoft Edge.
Select the PROJECT PROOF label.
Apply accent brand colour with the colour control.
Select the headline.
Apply neutral colour with the colour control.
Select the project description.
Apply neutral colour with the colour control.

Select all three text boxes.
Open the font menu in the editor toolbar.
Search for brand font name.

✔️ The brand font is available

Select brand font name from the search results.
Record the applied font here: selected campaign font.

ⓧ The brand font is unavailable

Select one readable built-in sans-serif font.
Record the fallback here: selected campaign font.

You should now see one typeface across all three text levels. The colour roles should repeat without introducing another competing colour.

Create the fixed hierarchy

A fixed type scale removes one decision from every future post. The headline leads, the project description explains, and the content label organises the weekly series.

Set the headline to 72 in the font-size field.
Choose a bold font weight for the headline.
Set the project description to 32 in the font-size field.
Choose a regular or medium font weight for the project description.
Set the content label to 24 in the font-size field.
Increase the letter spacing of the content label until its uppercase text feels open.

You should now notice the headline first. The description should explain it without competing, while the label remains a small organising cue.

Move the text group to the top-left area of the hero image.
Keep every text edge aligned to one vertical line.
Leave at least 64 px between the text and the nearest canvas edge.
Select the Mascot Steel logo.
Select Position in the editor toolbar.
Open Advanced.
Set the logo width to 180 px while keeping its proportions locked.
Move the logo to the top-right area with the same 64 px outer margin.

The text and logo should now sit inside matching outer margins. That repeated edge becomes part of the Mascot Steel design language.

Protect readability and record the system

Photography changes every week, so contrast cannot depend on finding an unusually dark photo. A simple brand-colour panel gives the headline a predictable reading surface.

Add a rectangular shape behind the text group.
Apply primary brand colour to the shape.
Resize the shape until it surrounds the text with generous internal space.
Select Position in the editor toolbar.
Move the shape behind the three text boxes.
Keep the shape above the photo grid.

Every letter should now remain clear over the photography. The hero steelwork should still be visible beside the message panel.

Reduce the Canva zoom until the canvas appears roughly phone width.
Confirm that the steelwork remains the strongest image.
Confirm that the headline remains readable.
Confirm that the logo remains clear.
Confirm that the outer margins match.
Confirm that only the approved three-colour system appears.

Weekly consistency checklist

Before each weekly export, check the content label, headline, logo zone, colour roles, type scale, outer margins, photo focal point, and phone-width readability. Change the subject matter while these rules remain fixed.

Before you compare the whole design, which repeated feature do you expect to make future posts feel most connected?

You should see a finished Project Proof template with a stable grid, text hierarchy, logo zone, colour system, and spacing rhythm. Those locked choices form the weekly system.

Your Project Proof template now has a repeatable visual language. Next, you will prove that the same language can carry a formal certification milestone without looking like a duplicate.

Adapt the Design for Facebook

Build the Quality Milestone Template

Your Project Proof template now has fixed colours, typography, margins, and a logo zone. The next challenge is to carry those rules into a formal certification post with a different composition.

A Quality Milestone post needs more visual restraint than a project collage. You will give the certification badges room to breathe while preserving the same Mascot Steel identity.

In this step, get ready to:

Create a separate Quality Milestone design from the master system.
Build a clear hierarchy around the CC3 and ISO 3834 Part 2 certifications.
Compare both templates for recognition without repetition.

Copy the finished visual system

A copy preserves the decisions that should remain consistent. You can change the composition without risking the finished Project Proof template.

Select File in the Canva editor menu.
Select Make a copy.

You will see the copied design in a new browser tab. The Project Proof template remains available in its original tab.

Rename the copied design Mascot Steel - Quality Milestone Master.
Delete the three-photo grid from the copied design.
Keep the text panel, logo, colours, and typography.

The canvas should now contain the reusable brand elements without the project photographs. That clean foundation suits the certification story.

Build the certification hierarchy

Certification badges carry authority, so they should remain intact and readable. The headline introduces the milestone while the badges provide the proof.

Select the content label text box.
Replace its text with QUALITY MILESTONE.
Select the headline text box.
Replace its text with CC3 Certified.
Select the supporting text box.
Replace its text with AS/NZS ISO 3834 Part 2.

You should read CC3 Certified first. The standard should appear as supporting evidence rather than a competing headline.

Select Uploads in the editor sidebar.
Drag the approved CC3 badge onto the open canvas area.
Drag the approved ISO 3834 Part 2 badge beside it.
Resize both badges to the same visual height.
Align the badges along one horizontal edge.
Leave generous space between the badges and the text panel.
Keep the Mascot Steel logo inside the established top-right logo zone.

Protect the certification marks

Use the approved badge files without changing their proportions, colours, wording, or internal spacing. Resize the complete badge as one object so its certification details remain trustworthy.

The finished layout should feel calmer than the Project Proof template. The shared logo zone, type scale, colour roles, and margins keep both formats connected.

Do the badges look distorted?

Make sure each badge came from the approved Assets folder. If a badge looks stretched, undo the resize and drag a corner handle while its proportions remain locked.

Help me fix the certification badge layout.

Compare the two weekly formats

Consistency becomes visible when different layouts still share the same design decisions. The comparison tests whether you created a system instead of two unrelated graphics.

Reduce the Quality Milestone canvas until it appears roughly phone width.
Confirm that CC3 Certified remains the first message you read.
Confirm that both certification badges remain readable.
Confirm that the logo keeps its established size and position.
Confirm that the approved colour roles remain unchanged.

Before you compare the templates, which repeated elements do you expect to connect a photo-led post with a badge-led post?

Switch to the Project Proof browser tab.
Inspect its logo zone, type scale, colour roles, outer margins, and content label.
Switch to the Quality Milestone browser tab.
Inspect the same five design rules.

You should see two distinct formats that clearly belong to Mascot Steel. The subject changes, but the brand rules remain stable.

You now have formats for real project evidence and formal quality news. Next, you will turn them into a one-post-per-week routine that is easy to maintain.

Review and Export the Campaign

Plan and Export the Weekly System

Your Project Proof and Quality Milestone templates now cover two different LinkedIn stories with one visual language. The final goal is to make that system easy to repeat once a week.

A sustainable routine separates planning, design, review, and export. You will create a four-week rotation, test both templates at feed size, and save publication-ready files.

In this step, get ready to:

Review both templates with one consistency checklist.
Plan a four-week rotation for one LinkedIn post per week.
Export and inspect both reusable template examples.

Run the consistency review

The templates should look related before the viewer reads either headline. Repeated brand rules create recognition, while different compositions keep the weekly feed varied.

Open the Project Proof template in Canva.
Reduce the canvas until it appears roughly phone width.
Check the content label, headline, logo zone, colour roles, type scale, outer margins, and photo focal point.
Correct any rule that no longer matches your visual system.

You should see the fabricated steelwork lead the design while the headline remains readable and the logo stays clear.

Open the Quality Milestone template.
Reduce the canvas until it appears roughly phone width.
Run the same consistency check on the badge-led layout.
Correct any rule that differs from the Project Proof template.

You should see the certification headline and badges lead the design. The same logo position, colours, typography, and margins should connect both formats.

The weekly quality gate

Keep the logo size and logo zone fixed.
Keep the content-label treatment fixed.
Keep the font family and type scale fixed.
Keep the colour roles and outer margins fixed.
Change the photos, topic, proof, and composition to suit the weekly story.

Plan one post per week

A four-week rotation prevents the feed from becoming a stream of identical project photos. Each week has one clear purpose, so choosing the next topic becomes easier.

Use Week 1 for Project Proof content, such as fabricated work, delivery, or installation.
Use Week 2 for Capability content, such as laser cutting, welding, galvanising, powder coating, or bending.
Use Week 3 for Quality and Trust content, such as certification, inspection, compliance, or quality control.
Use Week 4 for People and Heritage content, such as the team, Penrith facilities, family ownership, or company history.

Use one caption rhythm

Start with a short hook. Explain what the viewer is looking at, add one useful technical detail, state why it matters to the customer, then finish with one call to action and three to five focused hashtags.

Keep the detailed explanation in the caption. The graphic should carry one headline, one proof point, and the brand system.

Export and inspect the templates

The exported files are what LinkedIn receives, so the final check happens outside Canva. LinkedIn accepts a square image and recommends a width of at least 1080 pixels for photo posts.

Open the Project Proof template.
Select Share in the top-right corner.
Select Download.
Choose PNG as the file type.
Select Download to export the Project Proof design.

You will see the Project Proof download complete in Microsoft Edge.

Open the Quality Milestone template.
Select Share.
Select Download.
Choose PNG as the file type.
Select Download to export the Quality Milestone design.

Move both downloaded files into Documents\Mascot Steel LinkedIn System\Exports.
Rename the Project Proof file Mascot-Steel-Project-Proof.png.
Rename the Quality Milestone file Mascot-Steel-Quality-Milestone.png.

Before you open the files, do you expect the exported layouts to match the Canva designs exactly?

Drag Mascot-Steel-Project-Proof.png into Microsoft Edge.
Inspect the file for readable text, intact photos, clean margins, and a clear logo.
Drag Mascot-Steel-Quality-Milestone.png into a second Microsoft Edge tab.
Inspect the file for readable text, undistorted badges, clean margins, and a clear logo.
Confirm that each image file is no larger than 5 MB.

Both exports should match their Canva designs. The two files should feel recognisably Mascot Steel while serving different weekly stories.

Does an export look different?

Return to the affected Canva design.
Correct the crop, text placement, badge proportions, or margins.
Download the corrected design again.

Help me compare the Canva design with its export.

That is the weekly system ready: two reusable formats, one quality gate, and a four-week content rhythm. You can now create one consistent LinkedIn post each week without rebuilding the brand from scratch.

Secret mission

Build a Company Story Document

Build a three-page company-story document using Mascot Steel’s facility, workshop, fabrication, and delivery photographs. Export the sequence as one LinkedIn-ready PDF.

Clean Up Your Resources

This project has no ongoing cost because it uses Canva Free with company-owned assets. Choose whether to keep the campaign resources, pause your session, or remove everything.

Resources you used:

Canva designs: Mascot Steel - Project Proof Master, Mascot Steel - Quality Milestone Master, and the optional Mascot Steel - Company Story.
Canva uploads: The Mascot Steel logo, approved certification badges, brand references, and company photographs.
Local workspace: Documents\Mascot Steel LinkedIn System, including the Assets, References, and Exports folders.

Keep everything running

No action is needed. Choose this option if you plan to adapt the campaign for more services or future posts.

Keep the three Canva campaign designs in Projects.
Leave the uploaded Mascot Steel logo plus company photos available for future designs.
Keep Documents\Mascot Steel Social Campaign in your Documents folder.

Pause - I'll come back to this later

Pause your Canva session while keeping every design available. Your local assets plus publication-ready exports stay on your computer.

Sign out of Canva when you finish.
Leave the three campaign designs plus uploaded assets in Canva.
Keep Documents\Mascot Steel Social Campaign in your Documents folder.

Your saved designs remain available when you sign back in.

Delete - I don't want to use this again

Deleting company photos can feel risky. These steps target only the Mascot Steel campaign resources listed above.

Return to File Explorer.
Open Documents\Mascot Steel Social Campaign\Exports.

You should see Mascot-Steel-LinkedIn.png, Mascot-Steel-Facebook.png, and Mascot-Steel-Service-Spotlight.png.

Switch back to Canva in Microsoft Edge.
Select Projects.
Move all three listed Canva designs to Trash from Projects.
Move the uploaded Mascot Steel logo plus selected company photos to Trash from Projects.
Sign out of Canva.
Return to File Explorer.
Select Documents\Mascot Steel Social Campaign.
Press the Delete key.
Confirm that Mascot Steel Social Campaign no longer appears in your Documents folder.

Nice Work!

Fantastic work! You created a coordinated Mascot Steel campaign with three publication-ready graphics.

You've learned how to:

Build a professional LinkedIn graphic in Canva from an authentic Mascot Steel photo.
Diagnose a basic first draft. Refine it into a phone-readable design with a clear visual hierarchy.
Adapt the shared campaign system into a customer-focused Facebook companion. Export both main graphics as publication-ready PNG files. Inspect the exports in Microsoft Edge.
Secret Mission: Extend the campaign with a Tube Laser Cutting service spotlight. Preserve the established visual language in a fresh composition.

Ready to quiz yourself?