Text-based tiles form the foundation of your Mindsmith lessons. They allow you to present information clearly, organize data, and guide your learners through the course content.
This guide covers all text and structural tiles, including standard text, quotes, lists, tables, notes, timelines, code snippets, and layout dividers.
Try interacting with and configuring these tiles yourself in the interactive lesson below.
Standard Text Tiles
The Text tile is your primary tool for adding paragraphs, titles, headings, and subheadings. Click directly on the text to start typing, and use the inline rich text menu to format your text.
To customize the tile's appearance, click the tile to open the tile editor menu:
Alignment: Use the alignment tabs to justify your text (left, center, right) and adjust its vertical placement within the tile (top, center, bottom).
Text Adornment: Select the dropdown to add visual accents to your text. You can choose "None", "Highlight" (a colored underline), "Box" (borders above and below), or "Title" (a decorative bottom line).
Cap Width: Toggle this on to restrict the maximum width of your text. This is highly recommended for readability on wide screens.
Backgrounds: Click the image icon to select a background image, or the palette icon to choose a solid background color. If you use an image, you can adjust the overlay color to ensure your text remains readable.
Text Color: Click the color picker in the text color section to override the default text color for this specific tile.
List Tiles
List tiles transform standard bullet points into engaging visual elements. Open the list tile editor menu to change the visual layout and manage your items.
Choosing a List Mode
In the tile editor menu, use the "Mode" dropdown to select how your list is presented:
Bulleted & Numbered: Standard list formats. Numbered lists allow you to click the number and type a custom two-character label (like "A1" or "Step").
Checkbox: Creates an interactive checklist for learners. Mindsmith remembers which items the learner has checked off.
Pyramid & Staircase: Visually stacks your list items to demonstrate hierarchy, growth, or sequential steps.
Circle: Arranges your list items around a numbered graphical circle, perfect for cyclical processes.
Tip: For Bulleted, Numbered, and Checkbox modes, you can use the Columns setting in the editor menu to divide your list into up to 4 parallel columns.
Managing List Items
To add, delete, or rearrange items, use the items section at the bottom of the list tile editor menu.
Click the + button to add a new list item.
Click and drag the six-dot handle next to any item to change its order.
Click the trash can icon to remove an item.
Table Tiles
Table tiles organize complex data into a clean, responsive grid. You can format the text within any cell by clicking it and using the inline rich text menu.
Open the table tile editor menu to toggle your Header Row and Header Column. Turning these on will apply bold formatting and a distinct background color to the top row or first column.
Editing Table Structure
You can easily adjust the size and layout of your table directly on the lesson canvas:
Resize Columns: Hover over the border between two columns until a resize handle appears, then click and drag left or right.
Add Rows/Columns: Hover over the right edge of the table to reveal a + button for adding columns. Hover over the bottom edge to reveal a + button for adding rows.
Rearrange & Delete: Hover over the top of a column or the left side of a row. A menu will appear with a drag handle (to reorder) and a trash can icon (to delete).
Quote Tiles
Quote tiles highlight important statements, testimonials, or key takeaways.
Click the quote tile to open its editor menu. Here, you can click Upload under the Author Image section to add a portrait of the speaker. You can also customize the background color or add a background image with a custom overlay, exactly like standard text tiles.
Note Tiles
Note tiles display a callout box with an information icon, perfect for tips, warnings, or supplementary details.
Open the note tile editor menu to change the background color. By default, it uses a semi-transparent version of your lesson's accent color. You can select any color from the palette to automatically adjust the border and text colors for perfect contrast.
Timeline Tiles
Timeline tiles display events in a chronological sequence. They are highly customizable and can include multimedia elements.
Open the timeline tile editor menu to configure the layout:
Alignment: Choose where the timeline path sits (left, center, or right). Center alignment will automatically alternate events on the left and right sides of the line.
Cyclical: Toggle this on to connect the end of the timeline back to the beginning, creating a continuous loop.
Show Dates: Toggle this off to hide the date text fields on all events.
Editing Timeline Events
In the timeline tile editor menu, scroll down to the Events section to add, delete, or rearrange your events. Click on any event in this list to open its specific Event Editor.
Inside the Event Editor, you can:
Adjust the specific alignment for that individual event (overriding the tile's default alignment).
Click the Upload or Add buttons to attach an image, video, or web embed to the event.
Once media is added, use the dropdown menu on the media thumbnail to add alt text, edit captions, or swap the file.
Code Tiles
Code tiles allow you to share formatted code snippets with your learners.
Paste your code directly into the tile on the canvas. The tile automatically retains your formatting and spacing. In the code tile editor menu, you can toggle Syntax Highlighting on or off.
Tip: Learners will see a "Copy" button in the top right corner of the tile, allowing them to easily copy the snippet to their clipboard.
Structural Tiles
Structural tiles help you organize your page layout and break up long sections of content.
Divider Tiles
Divider tiles can be used as invisible spacing or visual line breaks. Open the divider tile editor menu to select your "Type".
Choose Spacer to add empty vertical padding between tiles.
Choose Line Break to draw a subtle horizontal line. You can then select if the line aligns to the top, center, or bottom of the tile space.
Section Marker Tiles
Section Marker (Callout) tiles are pill-shaped badges that denote progress or introduce new topics.
By default, they dynamically display the learner's current section (e.g., "Section 1 of 4", or "Quiz"). Open the section marker tile editor menu to adjust its horizontal and vertical alignment. You can also type into the Custom Text field to override the automatic text with your own label.