Australia's embattled corporate industry watchdog spent about $100,000 on a new font and branding tweaks.

Key points: ASIC began a rebrand weeks after the banking royal commission was announced

ASIC began a rebrand weeks after the banking royal commission was announced Diamond-shaped symbol appears to have escaped untouched but the logo has a bold new font

Diamond-shaped symbol appears to have escaped untouched but the logo has a bold new font "Creative development" topped $40,000 and about $60,000 was spent on "design and asset development"

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) told designers it wanted to be seen as "respected" and having its "finger on the pulse".

It began working on a new look within weeks of the banking royal commission being announced in late 2017.

"Instead of working to throw the book at the banks, they were more concerned about the font that that book was written in," Labor's Matt Keogh said.

Royal commissioner Kenneth Hayne took aim at the financial regulator for not coming down harder on misconduct.

The commissioner also tasked ASIC with investigating nearly 20 possible breaches of the law.

But as bank bosses were in the dock, the regulator was reworking its "visual identity" with inner-Sydney design firm Folk.

"Creative development" cost more than $43,000, excluding GST.

Nearly $60,000 was then spent on "design and asset development" — including for new stationery templates, banners, and its online homepage.

A "web design update" came in at just under $3,000.

"This is a bold move by ASIC to focus on what sort of fonts it wants to use instead of actually applying scrutiny to the people we need scrutiny applied to," Mr Keogh said.

"It could have been using that money to employ an additional investigator to focus on the banks or go after mortgage brokers."

Corporate cop says it is trying to save money during rebrand

The most noticeable change has been to the font used in the agency's logo.

Its symbol appears to have escaped the rebrand unscathed.

The ABC last year revealed Folk's pitch described the logo as: "Symbol good. Type Bad."

ASIC insisted it was trying to save taxpayers' money during the process.

"We are introducing the changes gradually as stationery is exhausted and other materials [such as signs and banners] are replaced," corporate affairs boss Matthew Abbott said.

"The existing brand and font had not been changed in over 20 years and was not always suitable for use in digital channels such as social media and online."

Mr Abbott said the new design would be used on the watchdog's website, publications and in presentations.

The header and buttons on ASIC's website have changed in recent months, along with the design template in its reports.

The ABC last year revealed ASIC had hired an external spin doctor to deal with "potentially explosive issues for ASIC and its reputation" arising from the banking royal commission.