From time to time, we use this blog (Inside GOV.UK) to publish up to date guidance about how to use features we've added to the site.
However, a few of you have said that although this works OK for timely updates, it's a real hassle for you to scan through all the blogposts we've produced to see if there's guidance relevant to what you'd like to do.
To address this, we've published a standing page on this blog that contains links to essential guidance on style and how to publish on GOV.UK.
This standing page will be updated regularly to include new useful blog posts and remove those that become out of date. If you have any suggestions for blog posts you find useful and we’ve missed off the list let us know in the comments.
We’re aware this still isn't a perfect solution - and are planning to start a project soon that aims to bring all style and publishing guidance into 1 location.
But hopefully this will make it easier for you to find the guidance you need. Let us know what you reckon.
Get the latest guidance as it's issued by signing up to email updates from this blog.
7 comments
Comment by E. Brown posted on
Hi Clare,
Thanks for the 'landing page' blogpost. I'm glad you see it as a workaround, rather than a solution.
You say you're starting a project to put all the guidance together; but you already have two key guidance areas.
Publishing instructions on Github
http://alphagov.github.io/inside-government-admin-guide/
Style guide
https://www.gov.uk/design-principles/style-guide
These seem like really effective groupings of guidance: one deals with the mechanical business of publishing, the other the writing and planning side, plus copyediting.
If you kept these up to date, you'd resolve users' concerns about keeping up with the blog, and could use the blog to highlight updates rather than write them in a post.
What's the user need for a different solution?
Comment by Clare Lenton posted on
Hi Elizabeth,
Thanks for your feedback. I agree that the 2 groupings of guidance are logical, but at the moment we don’t think it’s very easy to navigate between the 2. We intend to do some user testing with editors to see how they navigate the guidance and what will make it easiest for them.
At GDS our user need is to have a canonical source of guidance on publishing and style which is quick and easy to update.
Thanks
Clare
Comment by Yvette Baker posted on
Hello Clare
The new standing page for relevant blog posts will be really helpful. (You're right, it can be very time consuming to search through all the posts to find information.)
However, please could you add another category with links to the more detailed blogs on language and style? For example, it could include links to 'avoiding 'words to avoid'', 'ampersands, date ranges and contractions', the content clinic blogs, and so on.
Thank you
Yvette
Comment by Clare Lenton posted on
Hi Yvette,
I'm glad you think the new page will be really helpful. I'm happy to add another section on language and style if that will be useful for you.
Thanks
Clare
Comment by Yvette Baker posted on
Thanks Clare!
Comment by Jeni Pitkin posted on
Hi Clare,
Thanks for the summary of useful blog posts. Look forward to the new location of style and publishing guidance, although agree with the above comment that the current groupings are logical.
I'd like to be involved with the testing with editors, if possible?
Thanks,
Jeni
Comment by Clare Lenton posted on
Hi Jeni,
Thanks for volunteering to take part in testing, we'll be in touch soon about it.
Thanks
Clare