Branded Memory Game (Canva coding)
Canva Lessons from a Branded Coding Adventure
When I set out to create a Caterbum-themed memory card game, I thought it would be a simple case of combining some fun code with a dash of branding. The vision? See a the Caterbum logo on the card back, then reveal a matching pair of playful Caterbum clipart cats on the front. Easy, right? Well… not exactly.
The Plan: Branding Meets Gameplay
The core concept was simple—classic memory game mechanics, but every card face would showcase custom Caterbum art. The back of each card would carry the Caterbum logo, tying the whole experience together with the brand.
The Reality: Code vs. Canva
The coding part actually came together smoothly. The game logic worked from the start: cards flipped, pairs matched, and the performance scoring indicator tracked my progress on each attempt (surprisingly, that part worked right out of the gate—small victories!).
The real challenge, though, was integrating my branded assets. My goal was to swap out Canva’s default illustrations for my own Caterbum clipart. On paper, Canva provided steps for replacing the SVGs, but in practice, their editor treats the game as a locked "App" element. This meant I couldn’t just click and swap out images as intended. I tried rewriting the code directly and poking around for workarounds, but couldn’t break through Canva’s guardrails to fully insert my own branding.
The Outcome: Close Enough for Now
After a few rounds of code edits and trial-and-error, I ended up with a memory game that feels almost Caterbum. The colors, fonts, and overall vibe still align with the brand, but the actual branded clipart and logos didn’t make it in. For now, the game is more inspired by Caterbum than fully decked out in official collateral.
Lessons Learned
Coding with Canva is straightforward—until you want to customize beyond their templates. Locked app elements can be tricky to work around.
Performance tracking is a fun addition. Even a simple score indicator adds a layer of challenge and replay value.
Perfection isn’t required. Sometimes, a playful, on-brand vibe is good enough to create a memorable experience.
Next Steps
I’m still hunting for a way to get those branded cats front and center—if you’ve cracked the code on customizing Canva’s embedded apps, let me know! For now, the Caterbum memory game lives on as a fun, almost-branded mini project and a reminder that the journey is (almost) as fun as the result.
Here is the code behind the game. I considered deploying the code outside of Canva which might have allowed me to revise the images. Maybe another day.
Try the interactive game
Expand the game screen for a full view experience.
