I believe this new functionality is cool because it allows people like me to create simple apps. What we are going to see today is how you can create an app from an image.
Of course, I wanted to share an HR scenario with you. I'm bringing you a simple solution for small customers or low-budget HR departments. We are going to create a simple application portal for candidates and prospects.
Please know that there are plenty of solutions that cover ATS scenarios, so reinventing the wheel doesn't make sense. This is just a simple solution. Low code 4 low cost 😂
Design the app
The first thing that I did was design the form I want users to submit. I used an iPad but you can use whatever you feel comfortable with. It could be another device, phone, or tablet, or you can even draw it on a piece of paper.
Take into consideration that the final image needs to be readable, like scan quality.
This is my draft:
Uploading the drawing to Power Apps
Go to make.powerapps and select the Create menu from the left pane and then Image (preview) option.
✏️ Image
Name your app, upload your image or select one of the existing templates. Based on your design, Power Apps will recommend a layout, select Next.
⚗️ Components
Power Apps will identify your components based on the drawings you just uploaded. In my case, I needed to edit some of them but it was easy.
📊 Data
You can choose to create a new table in Dataverse, which we will do, or skip this step.
📝 Table
This screen will show you the columns for your table. Make sure they are ok. As you can see below, there are two texts not included in the data table and that's correct because one is the name of the form and the other one is the submit button.
🤓 Review
Lastly, you can review and check that everything is good and is time to create!
Once you select Create be patient, it can take a bit.
Power Apps Studio
After uploading my lovely image and going through the configuration Power Apps Studio will open and we can start editing the layout.
See how my drawing turned into:
I have to edit a couple of errors, delete some fields, and work on the layout so it looks appealing to candidates.
Final result
I had a lot of work in terms of making sure the app was cool and easy to use. I also added a disclaimer at the end and a second screen to confirm the submission was successful.
You will notice that some of the fields that I originally designed are not included. I tried to simplify as much as possible - and remember I'm learning as well.
If you are going to use this feature, please let me know how it goes!
If you want to dive deeper into the content that Microsoft created for such functionality, please check: Create a canvas app from an image (preview) - Power Apps | Microsoft Learn