 Instructional designers and educators spend countless hours working on Canvas courses–improving accessibility, organizing content, and creating learning experiences that help students succeed.
Much of that work happens behind the scenes. Students may never notice the thoughtful navigation, consistent layouts, or well-placed interactions that make a Canvas course easy to follow. But the research is clear: these design choices have a measurable impact on engagement and learning outcomes.
At Cidi Labs, that’s something we’ve long believed. As a team made up of former instructional designers and educators, we’ve experienced the ways thoughtful course design transforms the learning experience. We also know that instructional designers are the unsung heroes who make those experiences possible.
That’s why we created the Design Matters series.
In 2023, we were brainstorming webinar topics and asked ourselves a simple question: What if we focused on the research behind great Canvas course design instead of just talking about tools?
Rather than focusing primarily on products and features, we wanted to delve into the evidence behind practices that instructional designers already champion:
The research underscores the importance of all the design decisions that go into building a great course. And because we’re passionate about making these ideas practical, we paired every research finding with achievable ways to bring those principles to life inside Canvas using DesignPLUS.
The response surprised us. Hundreds of educators and instructional designers joined us to nerd out over learning research, design theory, and implementation ideas. It quickly became one of the most popular webinars Cidi Labs ever hosted.
The enthusiasm didn’t stop when the webinar ended. We followed up with an email that used the same formula:
The response was overwhelming. What began as a single webinar evolved into a monthly Design Matters Digest accompanied by a webinar series that explored each topic in depth.
For more than a year and a half, the series brought together learning science, instructional design best practices, accessibility principles, and practical Canvas strategies with one goal: Helping educators create better learning experiences for every student.
One of the reasons the series resonated is that it didn’t stop at theory. Every edition asked the same question: “What does this research look like in a Canvas course?”
Sometimes that meant using consistent page templates. Other times it meant simplifying navigation, adding opportunities for active learning, or reducing complexity.
DesignPLUS naturally became part of those conversations because it removes many of the technical barriers that stand between good ideas and great implementation. Instead of wrestling with HTML or formatting, educators can focus on applying proven instructional design principles in ways that are scalable and accessible.
The tool supports the design process, but the research and the learner come first.
As the Design Matters series evolved into our Accessibility Matters series, we realized we had created something bigger than a collection of webinars and emails.
We’d built a library of research-backed insights for the Canvas community. So, we compiled every monthly Design Matters Digest into a magazine-style publication. This resource brings together nearly two years of ideas, best practices, and strategies for creating engaging, accessible, and effective Canvas courses.
Originally released in print, the Design Matters Digest is now available digitally, making it easy to review the research, revisit favorite topics, and discover new ways to improve Canvas course design.
Technology continues to evolve. AI is changing workflows. Accessibility expectations continue to grow. But one thing hasn’t changed: Thoughtful course design is still one of the most important factors in creating meaningful learning experiences.
And that’s a conversation we’re excited to continue!
Whether you’ve followed the series from the beginning or are discovering it for the first time, we hope the Design Matters Digest inspires new ideas, validates the important work instructional designers do, and helps you create even better Canvas courses.
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