Promoted articles
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Released April 2025
Release 1.19 introduces major enhancements to our platform, including the highly anticipated Q&A board tool, streamlined authentication, and significant improvements to the backend dashboard layout for better accessibility and usability.
Major Features ⭐️
Introducing Q&A Boards!
We've introduced a powerful new participation tool that enables direct question-and-answer interactions between community members and project administrators:
- Allow community members to ask specific questions and receive official answers
- Focus on providing clear, authoritative responses rather than hosting discussions
- Configure question moderation, voting options, and participant permissions
- Built-in notification system keeps all parties informed of activity
Get Started with the Q&A Board
Ready to try out the new Q&A Board? Check out our detailed guide to learn how to set up and manage this powerful new engagement tool.
Magic Code Authentication
We've simplified the way users can engage with your platform through our new Magic Code authentication system:
- Enables users to follow projects or RSVP to events without creating an account first
- Simple email verification process using one-time codes
- Reduces participation barriers while maintaining security
- Supports returning users with existing accounts
Learn more in our detailed feature announcement article Magic Code Authentication: Quick and Easy Access
Improve Backend Dashboard Layout
We've refreshed the admin interface layout for ease of use and accessibility:
- More intuitive tabbed navigation and information hierarchy
- Improved keyboard navigation throughout the interface
See and learn more about these navigational changes here.
Minor Features ✨
Improved Word Count Analysis
We've enhanced our text analysis capabilities by filtering out common stop words, making it easier to interpret word frequency analysis in reports.
Participation Tool CTA
We've enabled you to set the call-to-action text on any participation tools in the system! When editing a tool such as a survey, you will find the option on the right hand side.
Improved backend Accessibility
Continuing our commitment to accessibility, we've made some minor improvements to keyboard navigation in the rich text editor.
Clickable Footer Logo
Site administrators can now configure the footer logo to link to their organisation's main website:
- Provide users with an easy way to learn more about your organisation
- Create a more integrated digital experience across your web properties
To configure this setting, navigate to Settings > Appearance > Footer logo > link.
Bug Fixes 🐞
- Fixed an issue where idea boards would always display in map view when paginating, even when list view was selected
- Removed the unique account name requirement, allowing multiple users to have the same display name
- Resolved a broken image display issue in the Hotspot tools
Many of these enhancements and fixes have been requested by our customers. If you encounter any issues with this release or have questions about the new features, please reach out to the District Engage Support Team.
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This minor release includes several interface improvements and bug fixes following our major 1.18 release, continuing our commitment to enhancing platform usability and accessibility.
Features ✨
Events Block Enhancement
We've added new functionality to the Events content block. A new "Show upcoming events only" checkbox in Additional Options lets you filter out past events. This option makes it easier to highlight upcoming events on your homepage or project pages without manually removing past events.
Backend Dashboard Mobile Compatibility
We've improved the mobile responsiveness of the backend dashboard, making it easier to manage your projects on the go. The interface is now compatible for smaller screens, with optimised navigation and improved touch interactions for mobile devices.
Usability Improvements
We've made several usability enhancements across the platform:
- Improved breadcrumbs for better site navigation
- Alt text fields are now available for all site images and logos, enhancing accessibility
- Events lists are now ordered by upcoming date by default, making it easy to see what's coming next
Fixes 🐛
- Fixed an issue where the Map builder would zoom in unexpectedly
- Fixed an issue where team members would get an error when exporting submissions
- Drafting outbound notifications will now no longer cause errors
If you encounter any issues with this release or have questions about the new features, please reach out to the District Engage Support Team.
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2024-11-17
This release marks a significant milestone in our accessibility journey, introducing improvements that bring us closer to full WCAG 2.1 AA compliance. These enhancements demonstrate our commitment to creating an inclusive platform that works for everyone.
Features ⭐️
Accessibility Improvements
We've implemented significant accessibility improvements across both the frontend and backend of District Engage, aligned with WCAG 2.1 AA guidelines. These enhancements ensure our platform is more inclusive and usable for everyone, with particular attention to users of assistive technologies like screen readers and keyboard navigation.
Survey Tool Accessibility- Enhanced keyboard navigation for ranking questions
- Improved screen reader support for Likert Scale questions
- Better announcement of question text and descriptions
- Keyboard-accessible multi-select dropdowns
- Optimised mobile rendering of survey content
Map Functionality Improvements- Keyboard navigation for all map elements such as pins and shapes
- Enhanced ARIA labelling for map pins and shapes
- Keyboard-accessible map-based project search
General Interface Enhancements- Improved focus states across the platform
- New "Skip to main content" shortcut in the backend
- Enhanced popup behaviour with immediate focus
- Accessible dashboard advanced filters
- Keyboard-accessible block builder
- Keyboard-accessible Rich Text Editor
New Card List Block
We've introduced a new Card List block feature that provides more flexibility in displaying content in a card format. This addition offers new layout options for showcasing your content. Read more about content blocks and groups here.
Fixes 🐛
- Fixed an issue where the Enter key would refresh the page instead of triggering the intended action
- Resolved keyboard navigation issues with the splash overlay
- Improved ARIA elements for video and embedded content
- Fixed survey content rendering issues on mobile devices
- Fixed a notification count discrepancy where initial project publication was not correctly filtering for users who had opted in to receive category notifications
What's Next?
We're continuing our commitment to accessibility and user experience improvements. Look out for more enhancements in upcoming releases.
If you encounter any issues with this release or have feedback about the new accessibility features, please reach out to the District Engage Support Team.
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Understanding the Updated Backend Layout
District Engage has updated its backend interface to make navigation easier and improve accessibility. This article explains the key changes to tabs, breadcrumbs and headings to help you navigate the dashboard more efficiently.
Key Interface Improvements
The refreshed backend interface includes two major improvements:
- More accessible navigation tabs with clearer visual design
- Consistent breadcrumbs and heading structures
Navigating with Improved Tabs
The tab navigation system has been redesigned to provide clearer visual distinction between main navigation options and sub-options.
What's changed?
The tab design now features a thicker line with rounded ends that clearly indicates the active tab, making it easier to see which section you're currently viewing.
The tabs structure now includes:
- Primary tabs for main navigation (Report, Preview, Edit, Followers)
- A new "More..." tab that contains additional options previously found in the dropdown menu
Using the "More" Tab
The "More" tab replaces the menu previously accessed by clicking the ellipsis (three dots) icon. When clicked, it displays a dropdown with additional options (depending on what page you are on) such as:
- Revisions
- Restriction settings
- Exports
- Shareable preview link
- Delete
When you select an option from the "More" dropdown, the tab remains highlighted to show your current selection.
Improved Breadcrumbs and Heading Structure
The heading structure has been standardised across all pages to improve consistency and accessibility. Each page now follows this specific order:
- Breadcrumbs - Showing your location path through the system
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Main page heading - The title of the current page (e.g., project title, survey title)
- This heading stays the same regardless of which tab you're viewing
- Status tag (if applicable) - Tag related to the page (e.g., workflow status, user role)
- Tab title as subheading - Showing which tab you're currently using (e.g., Edit, Preview, Report)
Accessibility Benefit
This consistent structure makes navigation more predictable for all users and helps screen reader users understand the page layout more easily.
These changes are part of our ongoing commitment to improving accessibility and user experience in District Engage. If you have any questions or feedback about these interface improvements, please contact your District Engage administrator.
For more information on navigating the admin interface, see Understanding the admin interface.
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New Feature: Team Management in District Engage
Teams Now Available
We're excited to introduce team management capabilities, giving you more control over how your organisation collaborates on engagement projects. Teams help you organise projects, manage permissions, and enhance security for sensitive work.
What's New?
Regular Teams
- Team members get access to all team projects
- Maintains existing system-level permissions
- Perfect for standard project collaboration
Restricted Teams
- Only team members and administrators can access content
- Ideal for internal or confidential projects
Key Benefits
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Better Organisation
Group related projects and team members together for streamlined management -
Enhanced Security
Protect sensitive projects with restricted teams and granular access controls -
Clear Responsibilities
Define specific roles within each team to maintain clear workflows -
Flexible Access
Maintain administrator oversight while controlling general access to content -
Streamlined Collaboration
Make it easier for teams to work together on related projects and initiatives
Getting Started
Before You Begin
Plan your team structure by identifying which teams you need and deciding if any projects require restricted access. For detailed guidance, see our Understanding and Managing Teams article.
Quick Setup Guide
- In the left-hand menu, click People
- Select the Teams tab
- Click the + icon to create a new team
- Fill in the required details:
- Team Name
- Summary (optional)
- Team Type (Regular or Restricted)
- Click Save to create your team
When creating a Restricted team, remember that only team members and administrators will be able to access the team's projects and content.
Next Steps
- Add team members and assign their roles
- Move existing projects to appropriate teams
- Set up team-specific workflows
- Configure team permissions
Need Help?
Our support team is ready to assist you in creating the perfect team structure for your organisation. Contact us for guidance and best practices.
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High-quality images play a crucial role in enhancing the visual appeal and user engagement.
This guide offers best practices for selecting the right image sizes for your content.
Suggested Image Dimensions
Here are the recommended image dimensions for different tools on District Engage. These dimensions ensure your images look great on all devices and screen sizes.
Image type Ideal size Hero
Width: 750 px , Height: 500 px
Aspect Ratio: 3:2
Full (only used in a Slideshow)
Width = 1900 px , Height = 1000 px
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Thumbnails
A thumbnail image will be automatically built from the project page image, so users will not need to upload thumbnail images.
Width = 750 px , Height = 500 px
Aspect Ratio: 3:2
Rich Content images Width = 1200 px, Height = 800 px
Aspect Ratio: 3:2
Before and after image slider Width = 1200 px, Height = 800 px
Aspect ratio: 3:2
Hotspot images
Width = 1280 px, Height = 960 px
Aspect ratio: 4:3
Banner Dimensions and View Width
Banner dimensions have a variable view width that affects how much of the image is visible to users. The view width varies based on the device's screen size, which means only a portion of your uploaded banner may be visible at any given time.
As shown in the examples above, the same banner displays differently at two common view widths. This adaptability ensures your content looks good across different devices and screen resolutions.
Adaptive images 📏
District Engage uses an adaptive viewport that adjusts image dimensions based on the user's screen size and the Items per row.
Because of this adaptability, banner dimensions can vary with screen width. Here are a few examples of how images adjust on different screens:
Card Thumbnails:
Hero Banners:
Important Note for Mobile Users
Banner images will be hidden on mobile devices to optimise performance and improve the user experience on smaller screens. When designing your content, remember that mobile users won't see these banner images.
File Size Recommendations 📂
To ensure fast loading times and optimal performance, keep image file sizes within 10MB. This balance maintains image quality without compromising speed.
Effective Use of Image Banners 🖼️
- Image banners should be used to enhance the accessibility and visual impact of your projects. We recommend avoiding text within images to ensure readability across all devices.
- Choose images with ample space around the focal point for better visual appeal.
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Adding a FAQ section to your project is a great way to provide extra information to the public, without making your page content-heavy.
Posting answers to frequently-asked questions can also minimise the need for the public to contact you by phone or email, freeing up your resources for other tasks.
How to create a FAQ:
- In your District Engage dashboard, select a Project.
- This will open up the project overview page. Go to the Edit tab.
- Select +Add block.
- From the drop down, select Rich content.
- This opens up a Rich content window.
- Fill in the Title field. This will be displayed on your project page.
- In the Content box, click on the + sign to open up the Additional toolbox.
- Select Accordion.
- Choose the number of items in your FAQ. Click Add Accordion.
- Fill in the Title and Content fields with your questions and answers.
- You can rearrange the order of questions by clicking on the grab dots and dragging them into position.
- Click on +Add item to add extra rows.
- When you are finished, click Add Rich Content.
- Click Publish.
To edit or delete a FAQ:
- Go to the Edit tab in your project overview.
- Click on the FAQ content block.
- To edit, make your changes, and click Done.
- Alternatively, to delete the FAQ, select Remove.
- Click Publish.