Canvas or model-driven? Choose the app around the work.

Begin with the user’s next action.

Ask what a person needs to accomplish when they open the app. Is it a quick task with a carefully arranged screen, or a process that moves across many related records? Sketch one realistic journey before choosing the technology. Include the person who submits the work and the person who has to resolve an exception.

Canvas: a tailored task experience.

Canvas apps give makers control over screen layout and can connect to Dataverse and other sources through connectors. Consider this approach when the interface needs to follow a specific task. Plan responsive layouts, keyboard access, validation, and role behavior deliberately; a custom screen still needs to work for everyone who uses it.

Model-driven: connected records and processes.

Model-driven apps use Dataverse. Their forms and views are organized around the data model and relationships, making them a useful option when people work across connected records. A process with projects, contacts, decisions, and supporting records may benefit from this structure. The quality of the model matters as much as the appearance of a form.

An intake example.

Imagine a team collecting project requests and reviewing their resources and approvals. First define a request record, its related items, the responsible people, and the allowed status changes. Then decide how each role should move through the work. Power Automate may handle notifications and approval routing, while the app provides the place to see and act on the current record. This is an illustrative pattern, not a client case study.

Questions to answer before building.

Choosing an app style is only part of the project. Agree the operating rules with the process owner and administrator.

• Which records are related, and which system owns them?
• Who can create, view, edit, approve, and correct a request?
• What happens when a request is incomplete or an approval is delayed?
• Which connectors, licenses, environments, and support arrangements are needed?
• How will users test and accept the finished process?