NOTE: On March 22, 2024, Design Tools underwent a major upgrade to become the DesignPLUS sidebar. If you created Canvas content or used Canvas content with Design Tools before this date, see Design Tools Upgrade for information about how the upgrade impacts you and your content.

What is DesignPLUS?

The DesignPLUS sidebar, an external app in the DesignPLUS suite from Cidi Labs, is an advanced content editor for Canvas. It provides point-and-click access to advanced page design and formatting features that would otherwise require extensive knowledge of HTML, JavasScript, and CSS. The sidebar can be enabled anywhere the rich content editor (RCE) appears, except for New Quizzes (that is, Announcements, Discussions, Pages, Syllabus, and Classic Quizzes).

NOTE:The DesignPLUS sidebar was developed for instructional designers and faculty with intermediate or advanced technology skills. Using the sidebar without appropriate training and practice can result in time-consuming content formatting problems that can only be corrected by recreating the content or editing the HTML by hand. For a list of sidebar training and reference resources, see the Get Started section.

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Features

The DesignPLUS sidebar is not a replacement for Canvas's rich content editor (RCE). Rather, it complements the RCE with advanced content, formatting, and design capabilities. Here are some of the things you can do with the sidebar:

• Apply a theme to your content - A theme is a page layout with a predefined text and heading styles, colors, graphic elements, etc. Applying the same theme to all of your course content can give a professional polished look.
• Add a banner image to any page - Select from several banners (including UMD-themed banners) or add your own.
• Add a navigation menu to any page - Add a set of links in a dedicated content block that jumps to a part of that page or another page. Each link can be modified once the navigation block is added.
• Add/rearrange content blocks - Quickly create and rearrange reusable blocks of text while maintaining your content template design (if applied)
• Copy existing content - Add content to a page from other sources, including institutional templates, pages and templates from the current course, and your other courses.
• Create reusable templates - Create model pages, assignments, quizzes, discussions, and announcements to ensure a unified design across your entire course. Then use the Cidi Labs Multi-Tool to generate module items based on your templates.
• Add accordions, expanders, or tabbed elements - Add interactive content that users can hide or show by clicking the title.
• Add module progress indicators - Select from several page footers that help students understand where they are within the course structure
• Customize any HTML style - Use a graphical interface to customize any HTML style on the page. Select an element in the RCE to see the available style options for it.
• Check accessibility - Use the built-in accessibility checker to confirm the accessibility of headings, links, images, and color contrast.

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Enable the DesignPLUS sidebar

The DesignPLUS sidebar is disabled by default. To enable it:

1. Navigate to any course in which you are a teacher, designer, or TA.
2. Open any content item (page, assignments, course syllabus, discussion description, etc.) and select Edit.
3. Select the red rocket icon on the top-right corner to open the Design Tools sidebar.
4. Select the gear icon at the top of the menu.
5. Select Try New Version to enable the new DesignPLUS sidebar.

NOTE: Please review the Design Tools Upgrade article for information about how the upgrade impacts you and your content.

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Get started

A variety of resources are available to help you learn to use the DesignPLUS sidebar at your own pace:

• DesignPLUS Training Series - Developed by Cidi Labs, this collection of videos covers all the major features of the DesignPLUS sidebar. UMD highly recommends it for new users and those transitioning from the legacy sidebar.
• [New] DesignPLUS User Guide - Developed by Cidi Labs, this is the authoritative reference tool for DesignPLUS sidebar users. Topics are organized alphabetically by tool or feature name. Each topic includes an introduction, a description of the interface for using the tool or feature, step-by-step instructions, examples, and best practices.

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Get help

• Teaching & Learning Transformation Center (TLTC) - For pedagogy and instructional support, Instructors can attend workshops and webinars by going to tltc.umd.edu, to request a one-on-one consultation please email itsupport@umd.edu and in the subject line, notate DesignPLUS Consultation.
• ELMS-Canvas DesignPLUS support - For technical support send an email to itsupport@umd.edu and in the subject line, notate DesignPLUS technical issue.
• Accessibility Support - For accessibility support please email itaccessibility@umd.edu.
• Related articles:
  • Design Tools Upgrade.
  • Using TidyUP to Manage Files and Content in ELMS-Canvas.

Content for this resource was drawn from the Indiana University Knowledge Base article About the DesignPLUS Sidebar for Canvas. © 2023 The Trustees of Indiana University.

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