Introduction to the Design Studio

Written By Vik

Last updated 5 months ago

With Wauld’s powerful yet simple Design Studio, anyone can create stunning certificates and badges with zero design experience. No matter where your expetise lies, Wauld equips you with everything you might need to create credentials that look and feel exceptional, in just a few clicks.

No complex tools. No technical skills required. Just drag, drop, and customize; Wauld takes care of the rest.

The Design Studio is where your documents come to life. You’ll create professional credentials that:

  • Reflect your brand identity

  • Showcase your organizational credibility

  • Delight your recipients

  • Impress employers and institutions

  • Support secure verification with QR codes

And all of it happens in one place; with live previews, auto-save, custom templates, and built-in smart tools that help guide you along the way.

Whether you're issuing certificates for a training program, awards for an event, or digital badges for skill recognition; Wauld makes it extremely fast and flexible.

If you can use a mouse, you can design a credential in Wauld - it’s that simple!

Getting to the Design Studio

To access the Design Studio, you’ll first need to create a document. A document is the base certificate or badge before it is issued to recipients as a credential.

  1. Navigate to Engagements from the left sidebar.

  2. Choose the engagement you want to issue credentials under.

  3. Click Create Document (or from the top-right if documents already exist).

  4. Fill in details like:

    • Document name

    • Type (Certificate or Badge)

    • Recipient type (Individuals or Organizations)

  5. Choose a template from Wauld’s rich template library or create your own custom template.

  6. Once the template is selected, you will be taken into the Design Studio.

Welcome to the Design Studio

The Design Studio interface is thoughtfully designed to give you both creative freedom and functional clarity.

Highlights of the Design Studio:

  • Live Visual Editing: Instantly see changes as you make them.

  • Drag-and-Drop Simplicity: Add and arrange elements with pixel-perfect control.

  • Auto-save with Snap Guidelines: Your designs are always saved, and alignment is easy with smart snap lines.

  • Brand-Centric Flexibility: Use your brand’s colors, fonts, logos, and design style to craft professional credentials.

Wauld gives organizations the power to issue credentials that look professional and trustable, helping you stand out while building a lasting impression.

Design Studio Interface Overview

Depending on whether you’re designing a certificate or a badge, the available options will slightly vary; but the core functionality remains the same.

Left Sidebar – Design Sections

Here’s a breakdown of all the design components accessible from the sidebar:

1. Background

Upload a custom background for your certificate or badge. This is perfect for adding a branded frame, watermark, or full design layout.

2. Logos

Add your organization’s logos or any visual elements that represent your brand. Logos help recipients and third parties recognize your institution instantly. You can also add organization logos from the Admin Center.

3. Elements

Enhance your document visually with:

  • Shapes: Rectangles, circles, lines

  • Ribbons: Add flair or highlight key areas

  • Icons & Decorative Art: Emblems, seals, icons

4. Attributes

Attributes are placeholders for recipient-specific data such as:

  • Recipient Name

  • Course Name

  • Completion Date

  • Issuer Details

And many more! These placeholders automatically get filled with recipient data when issuing the credential.

5. Signatures

You can upload digital signatures of course instructors, organizers, or signing authorities. Signature blocks add authenticity and a personal touch to your documents.

6. QR Codes

Add:

  • Verification QR Codes (auto-generated)

  • Custom QR Codes (optional links or identifiers)

These QR codes help third parties instantly verify the credential online, enhancing trust.

Toolbar - Your Control Center in the Design Studio

The Toolbar in the Wauld Design Studio is the creative control hub where you fine-tune every element on your certificate or badge. Whether you’re editing text, images, logos, attributes, or QR codes, the toolbar gives you precise customization options in a clean, intuitive layout.

This powerful, dynamic toolbar adapts based on what you're working on, offering context-aware options that help you stay focused and efficient.

The toolbar is positioned at the top of the Design Studio interface. It stays visible at all times, and its options change dynamically based on the item currently selected on your canvas (text, image, QR, etc.).

Global Toolbar Functions

Some toolbar functions apply no matter what you're doing:

  • Add Text: Instantly add a new text box to your design.

  • Add Image: Opens the upload modal to drag/drop or browse images (supports PNG, JPG, SVG).

  • Undo / Redo: Mistakenly moved something or removed an item? Click Undo to roll back. Redo brings it back.

  • Cross Button (X): Exit the design studio when you’re done. No need to save manually—Wauld saves changes automatically in real time.

Toolbar Functions (When Text is Selected)

When you click on a Text Box, the toolbar transforms to give you all available text formatting options.

Here’s everything you can do:

Function

Description

Font Dropdown

Choose from a wide selection of professional fonts. Great for maintaining brand consistency or creating formal/informal designs.

Font Size Selector

Increase or decrease the text size. Values are responsive, and the canvas updates instantly.

Bold / Italic / Underline

Add emphasis with quick formatting. Ideal for headings or important text like recipient names or course titles.

Text Alignment

Choose from Left, Center, or Right alignment. Helpful when designing within confined spaces or symmetrical layouts.

Text Color Picker

Wauld’s modern color picker supports: Click-to-select color swatchesHex code inputRGB/Opacity sliders It ensures precise color matching to your brand guidelines.

Opacity

Make text fully opaque or semi-transparent—great for watermark effects or soft callouts.

Delete Button

Appears when a text box is selected. Clicking it will remove the selected text element.

Live Preview: All text changes appear live on your design, helping you visualize layout and balance instantly.

Toolbar Functions (When Image, Logo, Signature, or QR is Selected)

If you select a non-text element such as an image, logo, signature, or QR code, the toolbar will show tools specific to visual content.

Function

Description

Resize Handles (on element)

Use mouse drag to scale up/down the element. Great for adjusting signature size, image balance, or QR code visibility.

Move and Snap

Drag the element anywhere on the design. Snap lines help maintain perfect alignment with other elements.

Delete Button

Click to instantly remove the selected visual. Useful when replacing images or repositioning elements.

Maintain Aspect Ratio (Images only)

Auto-locks image dimensions to prevent distortion. Ensures images like logos remain sharp and professional.

Dynamic Toolbar Experience

Wauld’s toolbar is intelligently reactive, meaning it only shows you what you need based on the element selected. This avoids clutter and keeps your focus on design rather than figuring out tools.

  • Select a text box → Toolbar shows all text formatting tools.

  • Select a QR code → Toolbar simplifies to alignment, sizing, and delete.

  • No element selected → Toolbar shows global actions (Add Text, Add Image, Undo/Redo).

Why This Matters: A cluttered interface slows down productivity. Wauld’s Toolbar was designed with user-first principles to ensure:

  • Speed: One-click formatting, drag-and-drop positioning.

  • Accuracy: Snap lines and live previews help you design perfectly.

  • Consistency: You can replicate brand style across all credentials easily.

  • Accessibility: Everything is visual, intuitive, and code-free.

Smart Features That Make Wauld’s Design Studio Stand Out

  • Auto-save: Your design changes are saved instantly—no need for manual saving.

  • Snap-to-Grid: Automatically aligns elements with precision.

  • Re-editable: You can return to edit your design at any time before issuing credentials.

  • Unlimited Layout Control: Place any element exactly where you want.

  • Professional Templates: Start with a pre-designed template or make your own from scratch.

  • Attribute Awareness: The studio ensures all attributes used are connected to recipient data.

What Happens After You Finish Designing?

When you’re happy with your design:

  • Click the X at the top right to exit the Design Studio.

  • You’ll be taken to the Document Details View.

  • From here, you can move on to adding recipients and issuing credentials.