Faculty: DesignPLUS for Canvas is now available

Take your course design to the next level with DesignPLUS in Canvas. SFSU has expanded Canvas LMS capabilities with easy-to-use tools for creating polished, engaging course experiences.

DesignPLUS empowers instructors to build student-centered, interactive, and accessible course content that supports learning and engagement while making it easier to create consistent, well-organized Canvas pages.

Learn more about DesignPLUS at SFSU, and explore how SFSU faculty members use DesignPLUS to enhance their course in the DesignPLUS Faculty Showcase.

Learn more about DesignPLUS

DesignPLUS Onboarding Series

Get started with DesignPLUS by attending a series of three onboarding sessions offered regularly by Academic Technology throughout the Fall semester. The sessions build on content cumulatively and should be taken in sequence. Register below, or visit the SFSU DesignPLUS page to learn more about the toolkit.

During this first session, we will get our feet wet with the DesignPLUS Sidebar, a toolkit for creating engaging and impactful courses in Canvas. We will also learn how to create a basic content page using various DesignPLUS elements. This will lay a strong foundation for success as we continue building our skills in Sessions 2 and 3.

Date	Time	Registration link
Monday, September 14, 2026	10 — 11 a.m.	Register here
Friday, September 25, 2026	9:30 — 10:30 a.m.	Register here
Monday, October 12, 2026	10 — 11 a.m.	Register here
Friday, October 30, 2026	9:30 — 10:30 a.m.	Register here

In this second session, we will learn how to use DesignPLUS to style existing content that was originally created using standard Canvas tools. This will be a common scenario for many faculty who update courses that they previously built. After that, we will create an engaging and informative course home page using a template aligned with pedagogical best practices.

Date	Time	Registration link
Wednesday, September 16, 2026	10 — 11 a.m.	Register here
Friday, September 25, 2026	11 a.m. — 12 p.m.	Register here
Wednesday, October 14, 2026	10 — 11 a.m.	Register here
Friday, October 30, 2026	11 a.m. — 12 p.m.	Register here

During this third session, we will start with a deeper dive into Content Blocks, which are essential for structuring and arranging content. We will then explore some additional DesignPLUS tools, including fun Interactive elements to support student learning, along with Accordions, Expanders, and Tabs to chunk content and manage cognitive load. We will conclude with a closer look at the built-in Accessibility checkers that allow us to review and resolve issues directly in the flow of work.

Date	Time	Registration link
Friday, September 18, 2026	10 — 11 a.m.	Register here
Friday, September 25, 2026	1:30 — 2:30 p.m.	Register here
Friday, October 16, 2026	10 — 11 a.m.	Register here
Friday, October 30, 2026	1:30 — 2:30 p.m.	Register here