Body
Summary
Create visual clarity and engagement using custom icons that guide learners and elevate your course design. This article reviews how to customize your course by creating buttons.
Environment
Canvas
Content
The Icon Maker in Canvas LMS empowers instructors to design custom buttons that enhance course navigation and visual appeal. By creating personalized icons, instructors can make content more engaging, improve accessibility, and provide clear visual cues for students. This tool supports branding, organization, and a more intuitive learning experience, helping learners quickly identify key resources and activities within the course.
How to Access Icon Maker
- Log in to Canvas LMS and navigate to your course.
- Go to the Rich Content Editor (found in Pages, Assignments, Discussions, or Quizzes).
- Click the Apps icon (plug-shaped) in the editor toolbar.
- Select Icon Maker from the list of available tools.
- Create your custom icon by choosing colors, shapes, and adding text or images.
- Save and insert the icon into your content for immediate use.
Why Use Icon Maker?
- Enhance Course Navigation: Custom buttons make it easier for students to locate important resources and activities quickly.
- Improve Visual Engagement: Personalized icons add visual interest, helping to create a more appealing and organized course layout.
- Support Accessibility: Clear, descriptive icons provide visual cues that complement text, aiding diverse learners.
- Reinforce Branding: Icons can reflect your course theme or institutional branding for a consistent look and feel.
- Simplify Communication: Visual markers reduce confusion and guide learners toward key tasks or modules.
Best Practices for Icon Maker
- Maintain Consistency: Use a uniform style and color palette across all icons to create a cohesive course design.
- Ensure Accessibility: Choose high-contrast colors and include descriptive text for screen readers to support all learners.
- Keep It Simple: Avoid overly complex designs—clear, recognizable icons work best for quick navigation.
- Optimize Size: Make sure icons are large enough to be easily clickable but not so big that they clutter the page.
- Align with Course Goals: Use icons that visually represent the purpose of the linked content (e.g., a book for readings, a chat bubble for discussions).
Additional Resources
Need Additional Help?
On behalf of OIT’s Instructional Design and Technology (IDT) team, we hope this tutorial is useful. If you encounter any difficulties or have questions related to this procedure, please contact our colleagues in OIT’s Support Center to have a help ticket created and assigned to the IDT team. You may contact the Support Center via email (supportcenter@uhcl.edu) or by telephone (281.283.2828). Once we receive your inquiry, a member of the IDT team will contact you as quickly as resources permit.