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

 

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.

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 

 

2024-11-17

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.

 

 

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.

 

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:

1. More accessible navigation tabs with clearer visual design
2. 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.

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:

1. Breadcrumbs - Showing your location path through the system
2. 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
3. Status tag (if applicable) - Tag related to the page (e.g., workflow status, user role)
4. Tab title as subheading - Showing which tab you're currently using (e.g., Edit, Preview, Report)

 

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.

New Feature: Team Management in District Engage

 

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

1. Better Organisation
   Group related projects and team members together for streamlined management
2. Enhanced Security
   Protect sensitive projects with restricted teams and granular access controls
3. Clear Responsibilities
   Define specific roles within each team to maintain clear workflows
4. Flexible Access
   Maintain administrator oversight while controlling general access to content
5. Streamlined Collaboration
   Make it easier for teams to work together on related projects and initiatives

 

Getting Started

 

Quick Setup Guide

1. In the left-hand menu, click People
2. Select the Teams tab
3. Click the + icon to create a new team
4. Fill in the required details:
   • Team Name
   • Summary (optional)
   • Team Type (Regular or Restricted)
5. Click Save to create your team

 

Next Steps

1. Add team members and assign their roles
2. Move existing projects to appropriate teams
3. Set up team-specific workflows
4. Configure team permissions

 

 

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:

 

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. 

 

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:

1. In your District Engage dashboard, select a Project. 
2. This will open up the project overview page. Go to the Edit tab. 
3. Select +Add block.
4. From the drop down, select Rich content.
5. This opens up a Rich content window. 
6. Fill in the Title field. This will be displayed on your project page. 
7. In the Content box, click on the + sign to open up the Additional toolbox.
8. Select Accordion. 
9. Choose the number of items in your FAQ. Click Add Accordion. 
10. Fill in the Title and Content fields with your questions and answers. 
11. You can rearrange the order of questions by clicking on the grab dots and dragging them into position. 
12. Click on +Add item to add extra rows. 
13. When you are finished, click Add Rich Content.
14. Click Publish.
    
    

 

To edit or delete a FAQ:

1. Go to the Edit tab in your project overview. 
2. Click on the FAQ content block.
3. To edit, make your changes, and click Done. 
4. Alternatively, to delete the FAQ, select Remove. 
5. Click Publish.