Overview
The Howspace Canvas Widget is designed for visual collaboration in a simple and effective way. Unlike tools like Miro or Mural, which try to solve a wide range of complex problems, Canvas focuses on facilitated visual teamwork. The key idea is to support collaboration while keeping the experience streamlined and easy to use.
Canvas widget is particularly well-suited for:
Small group work (up to 20 participants)
Visual facilitation with defined participant tools
Quick ideation using background images, sketches, or imported visuals
Multiple canvases in one workspace for different teams or topics
How to use the Canvas widget
All available tools are located at the bottom of the Canvas. To add an element, simply click on the desired tool and then click anywhere on the Canvas to place it. Elements can be repositioned by dragging them to the desired location. To remove an element, drag it to the trash bin located in the lower-left corner.
For a more immersive collaboration experience, participants can switch to full-screen mode by selecting the option in the bottom-right corner.
As an admin, you always have access to all Canvas tools, while participants only see the tools that you have enabled in the Canvas settings. Additionally, participants can only edit, move, and delete elements they have personally added, ensuring a structured and controlled collaboration environment.
Widget menu
Admins can access many useful functions from the widget menu:
Edit: Access the widget editing mode
Change style: Widget styles
Copy link: Copy link that takes users straight to this widget in the workspace.
Filter: Filter contributions based on profile field values, userlists, or teams
Clear Canvas: Delete all added elements
Editing the widget
You can enter the edit mode from the widget menu > "Edit"
Title and text content
Once in the edit mode, you can write the widget's title and content. More information about the text editor can be found in this article.
Canvas type
Facilitators can use a blank canvas or upload an image background to guide discussions. Custom canvas background can be particularly useful for:
Hand-drawn sketches scanned and uploaded as a background
Pre-made templates from PowerPoint or other tools
Competitive analysis, process flows, or brainstorming maps
Customizable Tools for Participants
Facilitators can enable or disable specific tools based on the needs of the session in the widget settings. Available tools include:
Emojis for quick reactions
Pins for marking areas
Notes for structured input
Text boxes for freeform writing
Lines for building the canvas or connecting ideas visually
Images for importing additional content like logos
This allows admins to keep the interface clean and focused on the most relevant interactions.
Anonymity
You can define here if Pins and Notes include the users name or not. Permanent anonymity has be turned on before any elements are added to the canvas and it can not be turned off.
Who can edit
You can also allow participants to edit the widget by adding their email addresses in the "Who can edit" section.
Widget styles
You can edit the appearance of the widget with Widget styles! The widget style content font affects notes and text added to the canvas. The content text color also affect lines. More information about Widget styles can be found in this article.
Language & Accessibility
Translation capabilities allow content to be accessible in multiple languages. Translations affect Notes and Text added to the canvas.
No zooming required – everything remains visible.
Best Practices & Recommendations
Use in "Normal" or "Full Width" container for optimal usability.
Limit tools for participants to avoid overwhelming participants.
Use filtering: Filter content to focus on specific contributions.
Leverage multiple canvases instead of trying to fit everything in one space.
Use background images creatively to structure discussions.
Consider alternative widgets like Super Chat for larger groups or AI-powered collaboration.
Keywords: Kanvas, Canvas, Whiteboard