Do This Before You Even Think About Starting Your Next Canvas Apps Project

Published – August 22, 2025

You’re about to make a mistake.
Not a catastrophic one—but one that could cost you hours of rework, endless client revisions, and a data model that barely holds together. If you’re gearing up to build a Canvas App for a business scenario, especially under pressure from a demanding client, pause. Before you even think about opening Power Apps Studio, there’s one move that can transform your entire project—and almost nobody talks about it.

If you’re a consultant building Power Apps—especially Canvas Apps—for demanding business scenarios, there’s one strategy that can dramatically improve your outcomes. It’s not flashy. It’s not even particularly technical. But it’s a move that separates seasoned consultants from those still finding their footing.

Let’s set the scene: You’ve wrapped up your discovery sessions. You’ve asked the right questions, mapped out the business processes, and gathered the functional requirements. You’re ready to build. Most junior consultants would now dive straight into a Canvas App. But here’s the advice I give every time: don’t.

Instead, build a model-driven app first.

Why Start with a Model-Driven App?

Model-driven apps force you to think about architecture. They help you define relationships, parent-child structures, and critical columns in Dataverse. You’re not just building an interface—you’re designing a system.

Start by identifying your main fact table—the core record type your app will revolve around. Whether it’s a sales order, a pick ticket, or a service request, this table is your anchor. Then build out the referential tables: users, products, locations, machinery—anything that needs to be linked via lookups.

As you build the main form in the model-driven app, you’ll naturally create and associate these columns and relationships. The result? A functional data model that can be tested manually, even if it’s not yet optimized for speed or user experience.

The Hidden Power of Manual Testing

Before you worry about streamlining the user experience, ask yourself: Can I build a complete record by hand in the model-driven app? If the answer is yes, you’ve already validated your data model. Now, when you move to the Canvas App, your focus shifts to efficiency: fewer clicks, smarter defaults, guided flows, and guardrails.

You’re no longer guessing whether the data model works—you’re enhancing it.

The Model-Driven App Becomes Your Admin Backend

Here’s the kicker: that model-driven app you built as a prototype? It doesn’t get thrown away. Rename it. Reposition it. It becomes the administrative backend for your Canvas App.

Frontline users—warehouse workers, field technicians, etc.—will use the Canvas App for quick, repetitive tasks. But administrators will need to clean up data, fix records, reassign tasks, and more. The model-driven app gives them all that functionality out of the box, often in a desktop-friendly format.

Bonus Benefits

• Views and Filters: Use model-driven views to pre-filter data. These can be referenced in Canvas Apps, reducing the need for complex code.
• Subgrids and Data Types: Easily configure subgrids and column types during the modeling phase.
• Clarity and Confidence: You’ll have a clear, validated data structure before UI decisions muddy the waters.

Final Thoughts

So here’s my tip: Before you build your next Canvas App, push a model-driven app to its limits. Use it to model the business process, validate relationships, and confirm with the client that you’re on the right track. Then, when you hit UI limitations, pivot to Canvas Apps with confidence.

You’ll deliver faster, cleaner, and more maintainable solutions—and your clients will thank you for it.