Turn your Course from Drab to Fab with DesignPLUS

DesignPLUS is a powerful course design add‑on that helps you build clean, engaging, and consistent Canvas courses—without needing to code. Paired with the self‑paced Drab to Fab course, it gives you a simple way to upgrade what you already teach instead of rebuilding from scratch.

With it, you can quickly:

• Turn long “scroll of death” pages into short, structured sections.

• Build a welcoming, informative home page with quick links and navigation tips.

• Create consistent weekly pages that clearly show what students should read, watch, and do.

All of this happens through simple menus in a sidebar; the tool handles the behind‑the‑scenes code.

How to Learn DesignPLUS

The Drab to Fab course is a self‑paced Canvas training that teaches DesignPLUS by having you improve your own materials as you go. It focuses on three things:

• Flexibility: Work on your own timeline while making real upgrades to your course.​

• Clear directions: Each task includes step‑by‑step instructions and tips you can follow right in Canvas.

• Personalization: You build assets—like a home page or discussion layout—that are tailored to your course and reusable in others.

How to Get Drab to Fab in Canvas

If you need a new sandbox, request one via the Canvas Sandbox Request Form at the ITRC. 

To add the Drab to Fab course to your Sandbox Course:

1. In Canvas, select “Commons” from the left‑hand navigation.​

2. Search for “Idaho State University.”​

3. Sort by “Updated, newest first.”​

4. Find “Faculty: From Drab to Fab” and import it into one of your courses (ideally a sandbox).​

5. Follow the step-by-step instructions at your own pace to learn DesignLABS!

For help, contact the ITRC at answersitrc@isu.edu or (208) 282‑5880, or visit the College of Education, Room 356, for Zoom, phone, or in‑person support.