From the few custom workshop canvases I’ve built over the years, here are a few tips and tricks to make them work well.

In short:

A structure that tells a story: Use the layout to help explain how the different blocks relate to each other.
Clear guides: Add descriptions and guidelines to help people know how to use your canvas.
Give examples: Show with practical examples what should go in each block.
Size that fits sticky notes: Make sure that the sticky notes people will use during the workshop fit the different blocks of the canvas.
Clear licence: Let people know if they can re-use this canvas or not.

Create a structure that tells a story

The beauty of a canvas is that the way you lay out the different blocks in the canvas tells something about how these different puzzle pieces relate to each other. The layout really tells a story. The size and placement says a lot about how much detail each element needs.

Add clear descriptions and guidelines

One of the great advantages of having a canvas during workshops is that participants can find in it all the details they need in order to do the activity they are asked to do.

That’s why I highly recommend that you not just give a title to each block, but that below, you have a description of what goes within that block. I personally like to make that description in the form of the question that you have to answer.

Give examples of how to fill the canvas

In some of my custom canvases, to guide even more the workshop participants, I’ve even added examples of how to use a specific part of the canvas. I did this by adding a sticky note example and adding notes on the side that explain why this is a good example.

By doing that, the canvas really becomes the one tool that makes it possible to run the workshop super easily. And it even makes it possible for other people to replicate your workshop without you being there.

Check that the size fits the sticky notes you’ll use

When I design a canvas to be used in live on-site workshops, I make sure that within the blocks people can put sticky notes in them. Usually working with an A0 format allows for that. And if you wonder, the classical sticky notes, at least the ones I usually buy, are 7.5 x 7.5 cm.

As you’ll use sticky notes on these canvases, so that people can add and remove information on it, just make sure that your sticky notes aren’t too big for your canvas.

Add a clear licence

I’m a big fan of the Creative Commons Licence which makes clear what you’re allowed to copy, adapt and do with templates. That’s why I’d recommend that you add on your custom made canvas one of the Creative Commons Licences.

If you feel in sharing mode, you can give the permission through that licence to people to: re-use and adapt your canvas, as long as they mention the original author and don’t make money with it. That’s exactly the licence I use, so that others can play with it pretty easily.