Isambard Community School Logo

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Once the logo design had been finalised I returned for more workshops during the first week of the first term. The logo was inspired by the work of Isambard Kingdom Brunel after whom the school was named, and evokes the great feats and raw energy of the industrial age.

The main linear component was ideal to use as a path for a journey, and the spark at the top was where we gathered at the start to orientate ourselves. The shape of the logo was programmed onto each receiver as a route to navigate along. It was like being lead through a virtual maze. The screen would guide you along a giant dot to dot drawing by showing a directional arrow and the distance to the next point.

Drawing with Satellite Navigation Technology
N51.60537 W1.82166 UK

This project was about the design and celebration of a logo for a brand new school in Swindon, Wiltshire.
First there were workshops by Kate Parsons and myself to sketch out a few ideas for possible logos and try scaling them up on the playing field with satellite navigation receivers.
We used three or more satellites at a time that sent precisely timed microwave signals nearly as fast as the speed of light.

The total length of all the GPS drawings made by the year 7 students (11 yr olds) was 75km (above).

The scale was estimated against the field of view of the camera and the density of pupils along the design. They all lined up in single file in two groups of about a hundred and were each lead along the route of the logo. It went fairly well until we had to cross our own path, like a snake bumping into its own tail. When the front of the line crashed into the side of its own path we arranged for groups to go through in turn as beads of traffic.

Special thanks to Rebecca Waldman for putting it all together and to all the young pioneers of Isambard Community School and to their new Headteacher, Rachael Mattey. The project was managed by Artpoint Trust, The Public Art Agency for the South East, and supported by John Laing Ltd as part of the art programme being delivered to the seven new PFI Schools in response to Swindon Borough Councils Percent for Art Policy. September 2007.

Edited GPS logo

Individual GPS drawings

All GPS drawings combined

GPS logo drawings

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