Tolu Victor

Building Canvas App UIs used to take hours.
Now it takes minutes.
For many Power Apps developers, UI has always been the bottleneck. Understanding layouts, containers, and design in Canvas Apps is a struggle. And ever since Microsoft announced Code View, I started experimenting with ways to use AI to solve this.
The problem? AI tools like Claude were helpful, but they didn't understand Canvas App YAML structure, control variants, or Power Apps specific rules. You had to re-explain everything. Every. Single. Time.
So I built a solution.
Canvas Apps Tools is a free, open-source Claude Code plugin that turns your AI coding agent into a Power Apps Canvas App UI developer.
Give it a screenshot, mockup, or text description. It gives you paste-ready YAML you can drop straight into Power Apps Studio.
Here's what it does:
✅ 4-phase multi-agent pipeline: analysis, layout, controls, styling, and assembly with built-in QA
✅ Validates against major YAML rules before outputting
✅ Classic controls by default, modern controls when you ask
✅ Iterative refinement: say "change the header color" or "add a search bar" and it updates the YAML
✅ Self-healing: whatever issues you run into, it learns and won't repeat them
Before this plugin: you were the YAML expert, manually fixing every output.
After: the AI knows the rules, validates its own work, and builds production-quality UI.

I've made the plugin free and open-source for everyone.
Get it here:
🔗 GitHub Repo: github.com/ToluVictor/canvas-apps-tools
📄 Full Setup Guide: drive.google.com/drive/folders/1SwwKf6J3CkaHpL73ZC…

2 months ago | [YT] | 123

Tolu Victor

I quit social media for 6 months.

It was the best decision I ever made.

Last year, I moved from Lagos, Nigeria to Boston to pursue a Master's degree in Software Engineering Systems at Northeastern University.

For those who don't know my background, about 6-7 years ago I discovered Microsoft Power Platform during an internship and it completely changed my career trajectory. I fell in love with the idea that you didn't need to be deeply technical to build real, functional business applications and automations. That belief drove everything I did for the next several years. Building solutions, creating content, and helping others see what was possible with low-code.

AI changed the game. The same democratization I loved about low-code was now being amplified in ways I couldn't ignore. But the people getting the most out of AI were the ones who truly understood software engineering fundamentals. Not just prompting. Not just dragging and dropping. But systems, architecture, security, and building things that actually scale.

I wanted to go deeper. Not away from low-code and AI, but further into the intersection of both, grounded in strong engineering principles.

It's been challenging. New country, Boston winter (no joke), full-time coursework. But easily one of the most rewarding seasons of my life.

Now here's what's next.
I'm creating content again, focused on how to get the best out of AI within and outside Power Platform. My new video series is live and the first one covers building modern Power Apps using only AI with 5 tips to get the best results every time.

Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sj3F5...

Thanks for being here. More to come.

3 months ago | [YT] | 128

Tolu Victor

I've just hit 20,000 subscribers on YouTube 😬😬.
and this was after only 21 Power Platform videos

When I started this channel I always assumed it would take me at least 100 - 150 videos to reach this milestone based on the average in the community.

So I'm really grateful for the massive support from the community and to everyone who has interacted with my content in one way or another.

As for my new contacts, check out my YouTube channel. I try to make the videos both entertaining and informative.

Youtube Channel: youtube.com/@toluvictor/

Once again, Thank you! 🫡

1 year ago (edited) | [YT] | 107

Tolu Victor

I once built a Power App that users hated.

The mistake? I picked the wrong gallery type.

If you want to improve the User experience for your Power Apps, selecting the right Gallery view can make or break your Power App

Here is the framework I use when building Power Apps Galleries for my clients

When to Choose List View
✅ Perfect for text-heavy data like detailed item lists.
✅ Ideal for sequential updates that read naturally top-to-bottom.
✅ Great for scenarios needing extra context without clutter.
✅ Best for users who love the classic scrollable list.

When to Choose Grid View
✅ Excellent for visually-rich records with images and icons.
✅ Perfect for rapid scanning when many items need to be seen at once.
✅ Ensures every item gets equal visual attention.
✅ Offers a modern, sleek look that instantly pops.

Want to take things a step further, you can give your app users the option to switch between views, hereby increasing accessibility and boosting your User Experience.

Want to see how I did it. Check out my step-by-step Power Apps tutorial on Youtube
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSwX2...

1 year ago | [YT] | 45

Tolu Victor

People say "Your app needs to be fully responsive"

But after many years of building Power Apps, here's the truth

When developing Responsive Power Apps, your app does NOT need to look perfect on every single device.

WHY?

In my experience, many clients say their users will only access a Power App on some specific devices. I once had a client, whose Power App was going to be used by customers entering their physical store in Germany, and the device was a Tablet positioned vertically.

Though the app I built was responsive, focusing on the Vertical Tablet view saved me a lot of development time.

But here's the catch, if there is a small chance your app will be used on a specific device make sure the app is fully functional and usable for that device.

Don't know which device to focus on? Simply ask your client.

I created a free course on Responsive Power App development
Watch the full tutorial on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hq_SR...

1 year ago (edited) | [YT] | 40

Tolu Victor

Knowing how to make your Power Apps responsive is no longer a choice but a must-have skill.

(This is how you can learn it)

The finale of my "PowerApps Containers, Layouts, and Responsive Design" series drops tomorrow, Jan 23, 2025, at 6 AM UTC on YouTube.

It's been a long time coming but this finale promises to cover EVERYTHING you need to know about responsive design.

In this third part, we'll build on everything we've learned so far in the series including a live example where we apply these concepts to make our app responsive.

So make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel to get notified once the video is live.

YouTube Channel: youtube.com/@toluvictor/

1 year ago (edited) | [YT] | 69