The government has spent £500,000 of taxpayer cash to figure out how to use the dot on the reinvented GOV.UK logo.
A newly published 150 page dossier, seen by the Telegraph, shows Whitehall civil servants think the dot in the government’s website logo is of significant importance, with detailed instructions on its “brand guidelines”.
As part of the rebranding, the full stop between “GOV” and “UK” has been adjusted, moving from the bottom of the letters to a position midway between them.
The concept is developed in the guidance as “the bridge between government and the UK, by the side of users to help make information and services easier and more useful”.
The guide adds: “Used within our wordmark and as a graphic device across all GOV.UK channels, the dot is a guiding hand for life.”
The document also tells civil servants to “Use the dot in a purposeful way, make sure the dot is serving a clear purpose, and change the colour of the dot if the brand requires more expression”.
However, it instructs them not to “overuse the dot, use the dot in decorative way or distort or skew the dot”.
The dossier, published last week, suggests the dot could be used to depict a coin being placed into a piggybank, or be used as a text bubble advertising a step-by-step guide on how to vote.
It adds it could be altered to be a coin being placed into a piggy bank, or be used as a text bubble advertising a step-by-step guide on how to vote, according to the newspaper.
“The dot can take on different roles – guiding users through content, journeys and experiences across GOV.UK channels,” it said. “It should always serve a clear purpose.”
The innovation of the dot is one part of a £500,000 upgrade made by Whitehall, backed by tech secretary Peter Kyle.