If you have ever wondered how the graphic design industry works, this logo gives me a chance to explain.

Actual development process: "What's next... ABC televsion? Jeez, dial-a-yawn city. Not much to go on is it? Look, how about if we just draw a circle, print 'abc' in it, and sling it over to sales? Tell 'em to say it's got 'classical simplicity and elegance' or something. Ya never know, they might buy it. Colours? Whatever. Black and white's pretty safe. I guess we could stick some yellow in. Tell 'em it's 'classic gold' and stands for quality."

How the sales geek pitches it to the client: "We felt our response to the brief should combine classical elements - reflecting the stature of the brand - with contemporary flourishes which convey the modern, dynamic synergy which lies at the heart of the company's success in the modern media market.

After several workshop sessions, we felt that the classic, Platonic motif of the perfect circle would provide the best fit to the brand's message:

• The circle encompasses all, just as your schedules encompass all the needs of today's sophisticated and ever more demanding audiences.
• The circle has no beginning and no end, just as your company's 24 hour news and current affairs scheduling acknowledges that there is no start to the news and no end.
• The circle speaks of unity - the way your company unifies countless different programming strands into a coherent, responsible and popular service.
• The circle is also perfectly balanced in any orientation, just as your company has a formidable reputation for balanced programming and balanced reportage.

We also felt that the subliminal association of the circle element with the globe, the world at large, was inherently appropriate for a company with global reach and presence, and is therefore satisfying on a subtle, under-stated and evocative level.

Regarding our typographical interpretation of the brief, we felt very strongly that the letters 'a b c' in and of themselves should be allowed to stand to the fore: proud, bold and unflinching. The regular, large diameter loops on the selected font echo the larger 'circle' motif and its attendant associations, promoting a positive harmonic within the logotype as a whole and strengthening the brand's bold statement of itself as a global player.

As regards the colour scheme, we tried numerous tonal combinations but always returned to the boldness of zinc white and ultra black. These tones, we believe, lend a bold, uncompromising ambience to the logotype, commensurate with the company's pride in its work and its reputation for accurate and impartial broadcasting:

• It speaks of directness and factual accuracy: no frills, no fuss.
• It says, 'We give it to you in black and white'.
• It speaks of responsibility, a willingness to stand up and be counted. It is bold, daring and proud.

Having settled on the classic tonal inflections of white and black, we prepared artwork of both the white-on-black and reversed options. Comprehensive sampling of focus group responses cohered with our own aesthetic preference for the reversed out option, which you see in the finished artwork.

We then sought to introduce some enhanced texture which, while promoting visual retention and brand recognition, would subtly amplify the brand values without interfering with the core logotype's design elements. We eventually decided on the golden arc which divides the background into distinct tonal areas. This yields to interpretation as a planet seen against sunlight, thus leveraging extra resonance from the 'globe' theme and suggesting, quite literally, 'a golden horizon'.

The golden yellow tone, both warming and positive, naturally evokes associations of value, worth and quality - suggesting this is the 'gold standard' of broadcasting. We feel that extending this tone to the circle motif is aesthetically appealing, and also conveys several subtle notions.

Symbolically, it constitutes a 'golden ring', traditionally the symbol of a commited relationship. This reflects the fact that your company has a committed and responsible relationship with every viewer - you know they rely on you for news and journalism with integrity, and for regular, dependable entertainment. The golden circle also carries connotations of the sun - the ever-present and eternal source of light, energy and power.

Ladies and gentlemen, we give you... the ABC television logo."