The Ultimate Guide to Supercharging Your Canvas Apps in 2024

Organisations are constantly seeking ways to innovate and streamline their processes, who isn’t? Enter Canvas Apps – your go to tool for custom app development.

Whether you’re a seasoned developer or just starting your journey with Canvas Apps, this article will equip you with the knowledge and inspiration to create outstanding applications that drive your organisation forward.

Canvas Apps come from a powerful suite of applications from the Power Platform, Power Apps with many services, connectors, and data platforms.

But what if you could take your Canvas Apps to the next level?

In this article, we will explore the exciting features that Copilot brings to Canvas Apps, how you can elevate your Canvas App skills, and provide practical tips to maximise the potential of these powerful tools.

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What are Power Apps?

Power Apps have emerged as a revolutionary tool that empowers organisations to build custom applications tailored to their needs.

You may be curious about Power Apps and how it fits into the broader Microsoft ecosystem.

Power Apps can connect to various data sources, both internal and external, making it easier to gather, manage, and utilise data effectively.

Power Apps enable users to build custom solutions with little to no code, making app development accessible to an organisation’s broader range of people.

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Types of Power Apps

Let’s break down Power Apps a little more, as we know, tech talk can sound full of jargon.

Power Apps are categorised into two main types, so carry on reading to find out the two types of Power Apps that there are:

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Canvas Apps

These apps offer a high degree of control over the design and layout. Users can start with a blank canvas and drag-and-drop elements to create a custom user interface. Canvas Apps are particularly useful for building tailored solutions that require a specific look and feel.

At Changing Social, we often use these for our in-house apps, such as our ‘Office Hopper’, which helps when working in a flexible work environment. It lets us know whether one another is in the office, at home, or elsewhere. We also have it for other useful tools, such as an ‘acronym buster’; this helps with new starters, as there are lots of acronyms and abbreviations at Changing Social.

The image below shows an app soon to be released for booking and everything about our annual leave.

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Model-driven Apps

Unlike Canvas Apps, Model-driven Apps start with a data model and build on top of that structure. These apps provide a more data-centric approach, allowing users to create complex applications without worrying about the underlying data relationships and business logic.

Today, as you may have guessed, we are focusing on Canvas Apps, so let’s explore some of the key benefits they bring to businesses and developers:

1. Flexibility and Customisation Canvas Apps provide a high degree of flexibility, allowing users to design the app’s interface from scratch. You can tailor the app to meet specific business requirements and branding guidelines.
2. Ease of Use With a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface, Canvas Apps make creating functional applications accessible for individuals with little to no coding experience. This democratises app development, enabling more team members to contribute to the digital transformation.
3. Integration Capabilities Canvas Apps can connect to various data sources, including SharePoint, Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, SQL Server, and even third-party services like Salesforce. This integration capability ensures your app can seamlessly pull data from different systems.
4. Rapid Development Canvas Apps’ intuitive development environment allows quick prototyping and deployment. This rapid development cycle will enable businesses to respond faster to changing needs and market conditions.
5. Cost-Effective Canvas Apps help lower the overall cost of creating and maintaining custom applications by reducing the need for extensive coding and allowing more employees to participate in app development.

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What Can Copilot Do in Canvas Apps?

Imagine having an intelligent assistant that not only aids in app development but also enhances functionality and productivity.

This is where Copilot in Canvas Apps comes into play.

Integrating Copilot into your Canvas Apps can unlock a new realm of possibilities, transforming how you develop and interact with your applications.

Now that we have explained it all lets dig a little bit deeper into the features…

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AI-powered Suggestions

App makers will know how beneficial more developers can be when creating apps. With Copilot ready to assist you, you can have a virtual helper available 24/7. It can create new controls (and even entire screens) and change parts of your app, and it’s there when you need to ask a question about your canvas app.

Breaking down code

Learning to code can be daunting, but not with Copilot. It breaks down and explains code in simplified words, making it easier for everyone to understand and learn. This self-learning approach empowers you to take on Canvas apps confidently, regardless of your skill level.

Build out tables

Data is the backbone of just about any app, and Copilot helps you efficiently build out the data model for your Canvas Apps. This means you can divert your attention to the more creative aspects, like the app’s layout and aesthetics. By shortening the processing time, Copilot boosts your productivity, allowing you to do more of what you love.

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Canvas apps are only becoming more sophisticated as time passes, and with how rapidly AI is evolving, it won’t slow down any time soon!

But don’t just take our words as proof; see some real customer stories of companies actively benefitting from Power Apps and the rest of the Power Platform.

Taking Your Canvas App to the Next Level

While Copilot is a fantastic tool for app development, there’s a whole world of in-house customisation options out there that are ready to be used in your canvas apps! Did you know you can:

Leverage modern controls and themes

To easily tailor your app’s aesthetics to user preferences or specific conditions, creating a more personalised experience.

Utilise screen templates

The power of NCLC (No Code Low Code) platforms like Power Apps is their ability to expedite app development. Do you know one of the many ways Power Apps does this? Is it through screen templates? Utilise them to have ready screens, which you can then adapt to your organisation’s needs. You can even use these templates to copy specific controls rather than making them from the ground up yourself:

Explore component libraries

Top development teams use component libraries. They are a powerful way to create and manage reusable UI components across your Canvas Apps. You can create custom buttons, navigation menus, or data forms that can be shared and used across multiple screens or apps—a powerful tool often underestimated!

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Get engaged with the community

The Power Apps community is vibrant and has opportunities to learn and grow. Here are some of the many things you can do to begin your journey with the community:

1. Participate in Power Apps Community Forums A place to ask technical questions and receive help around canvas apps. You can even help others with their canvas app queries!
2. Contribute to Community Projects New community-led projects are constantly growing. Get engaged on LinkedIn and other social media to be aware of these and contribute.
3. Connect with those in the Power Platform Space The Power Platform space is full of friendly faces. Start connecting and joining Power Apps communities!

How to Elevate Your Canvas App Skills

We suggest starting with Copilot. It is like having a personal tutor for your Canvas App development. It’s a great way to practice and guide your self-learning. Experiment with different features, test out new ideas and let Copilot provide real-time feedback and suggestions. You can grow with Copilot and ask harder questions to grow continuously with the more you learn.

Additionally, Microsoft Learn provides some fantastic and intuitive learning paths and certifications for you to take to help improve confidence in your app-making skills. Changing Social also provides Power Platform University – your gateway to mastering the art of canvas app development and the more comprehensive Power Platform. Whether you’re looking to boost your business’s productivity or empower your team with cutting-edge skills, our program is tailored just for you.

Keep learning…

Overall, Power Apps, particularly Canvas Apps, offer unparalleled flexibility and ease of use for creating custom applications tailored to your organisation’s needs. With the integration of Copilot, the development process becomes even more streamlined, empowering novice and experienced developers to enhance their productivity and creativity.

By leveraging the advanced features and capabilities of Canvas Apps and Copilot, your organisation can drive digital transformation, respond quickly to changing market demands, and foster innovation across all departments.

As you embark on or continue your journey with Canvas Apps, explore the available resources, including modern controls, screen templates, and component libraries, to further enhance your app development skills.

Engaging with the vibrant Power Apps community will also provide valuable insights and support, helping you stay ahead of the Canvas App design game.

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Q&A

How do Canvas Apps benefit businesses? Canvas Apps offer flexibility and customisation, ease of use with a drag-and-drop interface, integration capabilities with various data sources, rapid development, and cost-effectiveness by reducing the need for extensive coding.

What is Copilot in the context of Canvas Apps? Copilot is an AI companion that assists in app development within Canvas Apps. It provides AI-powered suggestions, breaks down and explains code, helps build out data models, and enhances functionality and productivity, making app development more accessible and more efficient.

How can I elevate my Canvas App skills? Use Copilot to practice and guide your self-learning, experiment with different features, and seek real-time feedback. Additionally, utilise resources such as Microsoft Learn for learning paths and certifications, and consider enrolling in programs like Changing Social’s Power Platform University to master Canvas App development further.

How can I engage with the Power Apps community? Engage with the Power Apps community by participating in community forums, contributing to community projects, and connecting with others in the Power Platform space through platforms like LinkedIn and other social media, and attending user groups to further your knowledge.

What are some practical tips for maximising the potential of Canvas Apps? Use modern controls and themes to tailor app aesthetics, utilise screen templates for rapid development, explore component libraries for reusable UI components, and engage with the Power Apps community for support and inspiration.

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Start a change process with Canvas Apps and the new opportunities for your organisation. Integrate advanced, custom features in Power Apps today to make your business operations better.