Hart District Council
Making community communications clear, accessible and engaging
Communicating with an entire community takes more than simply sharing information. It requires a publication that’s engaging, easy to understand and accessible to all. That’s exactly what we’ve helped Hart District Council achieve through our long-standing partnership on Hart News.
Published twice a year and delivered to every household across the district, Hart News keeps residents up to date about council services, local initiatives and community events. As part of a three-year contract, we collaborate alongside the Council to shape the magazine’s creative direction, designing each edition, providing photography and overseeing final proofing to ensure every issue is clear, compelling and professionally produced.
The design combines a warm, contemporary feel with carefully structured layouts that make information easy to navigate. Accessibility has been key from the outset, with considered typography, colour contrast and spacing improving readability across the printed magazine.
In addition, the online version of Hart News, produced as a digital PDF needed to provide equal access for residents using screen readers and other assistive technologies. We created a fully tagged accessible PDF with meaningful heading structures, image alt text and logical reading order, making accessibility integral to the publication rather than an afterthought.
By embedding accessibility throughout the project, we’ve helped Hart District Council deliver inclusive communications that reach the widest possible audience, strengthening connections with residents and ensuring vital information is accessible to everyone.
“We’ve been working with the team at Shine over the past three years on various projects, including social media graphics and resident publications. We’ve always had a positive experience – the team are creative, responsive and helpful and I’d highly recommend them to anyone looking for high-quality design work from a really friendly team.”
