For any type of digital content, no matter the audience or which channel it’s used on, Shelter has a set of clear best practice guidelines for creating high quality, user-focused content.
How to write online content
Across-the-board guidelines that cover focusing on the user, writing in plain English, how to follow Shelter’s house style, how to use links, calls to action and more.
Read the guide
Shelter’s house style
Learn all the conventions we use for spelling, grammar, and style, for any copy you write.
Read the style guide
How to use content design
A guide to the methodology that uses research, collaboration, and a focus on the user to create great content as simply and efficiently as possible.
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How to use case studies
A guide to finding stories, finding and using photos, quoting case studies, and getting permissions.
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How to write about domestic abuse
A guide to using the right language and tone when writing about domestic abuse.
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Video guides
Video can be the most powerful form of digital content, with the greatest potential to tell a story and engage people. But unless it’s planned according to standards and guidelines, a lot can go wrong with video. The guides below can show you how to do videos the right way.
Filming basics, a practical guide
This introductory guide covers the filming process and some practical self-shooting techniques to help you get started.
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Video captioning
All video produced for Shelter’s channels must have captions (subtitles). This guide takes you through the checklist and specs.
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Video supers
Supers are titles, text, or graphics added to video. They can add value for viewers, but should be used sparingly and only if necessary.
Read the guide
Case study videos
This guide will help filmmakers and partners produce stories in Shelter’s style of observational and participatory documentary videos.
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How to commission a video
If you’re commissioning a video using Shelter’s video team or external filmmakers, this guide is essential reading before you get started.
Read the guide
Accessibility guides
More than ever, organisations know their websites and social media content need to be usable for people with disabilities, who make up over 20% of the UK population. These guides will help you understand accessibility and how to build it into your plans and content.
Shelter’s Accessibility Guidance & Best Practices
1 in 5 people in the UK have a disability. Web accessibility ensures they face no barriers to using our websites and content. This guide explains the types of disabilities, audience volume, legal requirements and how to create a roadmap to accessibility for a digital product or service.
Read the guide
Writing accessible content
There are straightforward best practices for making sure your users with disabilities can navigate and understand your content.
Read the guide
Social media and accessibility
Shelter’s social channels are fundamental to our ability to reach people facing homelessness or experiencing bad housing, as well as appeal to people hoping to support our work. So it’s crucial that our social content is accessible.
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Accessibility success criteria
This comprehensive list covers the criteria for meeting Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) standards.
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Publishing guides
Getting Contentful: How to use our CMS
A range of guides for users of Shelter’s content management system.
See the guides
What is our publishing workflow?
To drive quality across Shelter’s estate, we’ll be putting effective and efficient workflows in place for each team.
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Have a question or comment? Found a bug? Or maybe you’d like to contribute to the framework? Use our contact form to get in touch.
