Social Security News
An independent publication that turns dense government sources into plain-English guidance — for the people who depend on Social Security and the professionals who guide them.
The challenge
Social Security touches tens of millions of Americans, and the information about it splits into two bad options: dense primary sources written for administrators, and clickbait written for panic. The audience skews older — so readability isn't a nice-to-have — and a second audience of advisors, attorneys, and policy staff needs depth without the noise. One publication, two very different readers.
The approach
We designed Social Security News with two front doors. Individuals and retirees get plain-English guides — when to claim, how much you'll get, payment schedules, spousal and survivor benefits. Professionals get briefings on policy, legislation, and program administration: trustees reports, OIG findings, Capitol Hill activity. Everything is curated from primary sources — SSA, the Office of the Inspector General, AARP, policy research groups — and updated daily. A benefit estimator gives readers a number, not just prose, and a weekly newsletter keeps the relationship. Generous type sizes and high contrast are treated as core features, not accessibility afterthoughts.
The result
An independent publication that reads like a service: daily coverage that respects the reader's time, guides organized around real decisions rather than keywords, and a professional tier of briefings that makes the site citable at work. Strategy, design, build, and daily operation — one thread of accountability from research desk to production.