This article provides an overview for activating and using the DesignPlus sidebar in Canvas. When activated the sidebar can be used to create and style highly visual, organized, and accessible content without requiring any HTML or CSS experience.
How do I activate the DesignPLUS toolbar?
To activate the DesignPLUS tools for additional Canvas content options:
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Login to Canvas
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Navigate to a course
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Create a new page (or click edit on an existing page). While still in the editing function use the keystroke combo Alt + Shift + D to activate the toolbar launch button on the right hand side of your screen.
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Click on the kebab (stacked three dots) and then User Settings to set defaults for toolbar sidebar launch.
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Select the checkbox to Automatically Launch Sidebar and/or Show Launch button.
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Exit out of Design Tools toolbar.
Your user settings preferences will be saved for the sidebar launch or button whenever you're editing a page in Canvas.
How do I use the new DesignPLUS tools in Canvas?
The linked Cidilabs articles below are a good starting point to help orient you to working with the new DesignPLUS interface in Canvas to create new content or to update content created with the old interface.
How do I use the DesignPLUS QuickStart Wizard?
Another way to access DesignPLUS tools is through the DesignPLUS QuickStart Wizard. The QuickStart Wizard is an embedded version of the full DesignPLUS toolbar that works in conjunction with the Canvas Rich Content Editor (RCE). The QuickStart Wizard works with content on Pages, Assignments, Discussions, Announcements, and classic Quizzes.
The DesignPLUS Quickstart Wizard launch button will only appear when a new Page, Assignment, Discussion or other type of content is created. The Wizard will not appear on Canvas resources that already have content on them.
To get started with the tool, create a new Canvas resource then click the DesignPLUS QuickStart Wizard launch button that appears above the Rich Content Editor (RCE).
Once launched, the QuickStart Wizard will guide you through the process of adding different templates, full page layouts, blocks and content layout pieces that can be added to templates or used to build from scratch.
To get started with the Wizard:
- Hover over a template or block name for a sneak peek.
- Select what you want to to add o the Canvas content preview area.
- Rearrange content as desired.
Visit the DesignPLUS QuickStart Wizard User Guide to learn more.
How can I upgrade Canvas legacy content to the new DesignPLUS tools?
The Cidilabs support articles below are a good starting point to help orient you to working with the DesignPLUS sidebar to create new content or to update content created with the legacy Design tools interface.