Forget struggling with clunky course design and say “hello” to Design Smarter, Not Harder: Supercharging Your Canvas Template with DesignPLUS! On July 2nd, UTA’s Center for Research on Teaching and Learning Excellence, in collaboration with Dr. Jess Kahlow from the Center for Distance Education, hosted a dynamic session all about transforming your Canvas courses from basic to brilliant. We dove into the powerful DesignPLUS suite from Cidi Labs, a fantastic set of tools integrated right into Canvas that empowers instructors to craft visually appealing, accessible, and perfectly organized courses — no coding required! If you’re ready to leave behind bland Canvas shells and embrace engaging, student-friendly learning experiences, keep reading for a recap of the essential DesignPLUS tools that will make your course creation faster and easier than ever before.

Design Smarter, Not Harder: Recap

On July 2nd, we hosted Design Smarter, Not Harder: Supercharging Your Canvas Template with DesignPLUS. This practical session, led by Dr. Jess Kahlow from UTA’s Center for Distance Education, focused on demonstrating the fastest and easiest ways to build and improve a Canvas course.

UTA has DesignPLUS from Cidi Labs, a suite of powerful design tools integrated within Canvas. It helps instructors build visually appealing, accessible, and well-organized courses without needing to know advanced coding. The DesignPLUS tools make it faster and easier to turn a plain Canvas shell into an engaging, student-friendly learning experience.

Your Five DesignPLUS Tools

Key Action Items: Shows hidden messages from CDE about why the page is there, what you should update on the page, and how the information on the page helps meet Quality Matters standards.
1. Where to find it: Select the green button in the bottom-right corner.
1. When to use it: Anytime you’re editing a template page in Canvas.
QuickStart Wizard: Add pre-designed, accessible content to any blank Canvas page in just a few clicks.
1. Where to find it: Look for the blue QuickStart Wizard button on new, empty pages.
1. When to use it: Anytime you’re adding a new page to a course.
MultiTool – Due Date Modifier: Allows you to set all of your due dates and availability dates all in one place.
1. Where to find it: Look for the MultiTool link in your Course Navigation menu.
1. When to use it: Before you publish your course.
MultiTool – Module Builder: Allows you to use existing pages to build all the pages and assignments for your modules, utilizing pages within the course.
1. Where to find it: Look for the MultiTool link in your Course Navigation menu.
1. When to use it: Use this tool when you’re building a course from scratch.
Sidebar: Add pre-designed content, do advanced editing, and build interactive pages — all without leaving Canvas.
1. Where to find it:
  1. Navigate to the Canvas page you want to edit.
  1. Select Edit and put your cursor in the rich content editor.
  1. Use these shortcuts while in edit mode:
    • Windows: Ctrl–1 or Alt–Shift–D
    • Mac: Control–1 or Option–Shift–D
  1. The Sidebar stays open until you close it or exit the page. To change this, go to user settings and choose to have the sidebar open automatically.
1. When to use it: When you’re comfortable with Canvas and the UTA template and are ready to use more advanced editing tools when making pages. You can use it to add interactive…
  1. content structures (e.g., accordions, tabs, expanders, columns, cards).
  1. elements (e.g., pop-ups, dialog boxes, embeds, accordions).
  1. quick-check questions (e.g., true/false, multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, or flip cards).
Upload/Embed Image: Easily add, resize, and manage images. Pick high-quality visuals from Unsplash or Pexels, or upload your own.
1. Where to find it: Look under Apps in the Rich Content Editor.
1. When to use it: When you’re adding images to your course.

UTA’s Template

The session focused on showcasing how each of these tools can speed up the course creation process for instructors. We started with a description of the UTA Canvas Template, which is fully accessible and designed to meet Quality Matters Standards. A recommended workflow was presented that demonstrates when to use each tool, including:

Update the Home page and Getting Started module following the key action item instructions
Add more student resource pages to the Getting Started module with the QuickStart Wizard (APA, AI, Respondus, etc.)
Update Module Template pages using the Sidebar and Snippets
Use the Module Builder to quickly create pages for each module
Add content and set due dates with the Due Date Modifier

Course Design Days

Ready to keep building? Want to learn more? Join us for Course Design Days, a fast-paced, hands-on workshop series running August 5–8, 11 AM–12 PM on Teams. This series is designed to help you build a clear and engaging course in Canvas using the UTA template and DesignPLUS. By the end of this series, participants will be able to:

By the end of this workshop series, participants will be able to:

1. Develop a clear, student-friendly course structure that aligns with instructional goals.

2. Apply effective design practices that enhance clarity, accessibility, and engagement.

3. Build the course out in Canvas in an organized, scalable, and consistent way.

4. Prepare the course for launch by completing key setup tasks.

This series is intended for instructors teaching a course in Fall 2025 who are already familiar with Canvas basics. The series focuses heavily on the use of DesignPLUS, which requires proficiency in Canvas; due to the fast-paced nature, we won’t have time to address basic Canvas questions. Therefore, to participate in the workshop, you will need your syllabus, access to your Fall 2025 Canvas course, and a good understanding of Canvas.

Save your spot by completing this Course Design Days Registration/Application by July 25^th, 2025.The first three people to sign up win a free page makeover featured in our YouTube series!

Resources

Session Resources

Design Smarter, Not Harder Presentation (Canvas Page): Access information about DesignPLUS from the session.
Session Recording: Watch the recording of the session.

CDE Resources

Mastering DesignPLUS video series: Each video in this series from CDE walks you through essential tools, features, and techniques that will make course creation smoother and more efficient.
Self-enroll in CDE’s DesignPLUS Guide: CDE’s guide to the DesignPlus Sidebar will show you the basics of DesignPlus and prepare you to use the DesignPlus tools in your courses.
Explore the Example Courses Course: See real examples of well-designed Canvas modules to inspire your own course.
Work with an Instructional Designer: Learn more about CDE and how to get instructional designer support in your courses. Complete the Course Development Request form to start the process.
Course Design Days Registration/Application: Save your spot, confirm you meet the requirements, and earn your Course Design Days badge!

UTA Resources

UTA’s Accessibility Toolkit: Access tips and best practices to help ensure your course meets accessibility standards.

Cidi Labs Resources

Cidi Labs DesignPLUS User Guide: Find detailed instructions, tips, and advanced features directly from Cidi Labs.
Sign up for Cidi Labs Newsletters: Stay up to date on new tools, tips, webinars, and success stories from other educators.

ICYMI! Recap of June 25 Session “Design Smarter, Not Harder” with Dr. Jess Kahlow