A note from the our Design Consultant, Marja van Weeren
When given the assignment to redesign the website of The Britsh School in New Delhi, the major challenge for me was to translate the school's mission statement into something visual that would be recognisable, however subtle, for those visiting the site.
"The finest British and international education with an Indian soul": the essence of who the school is and what it is trying to tell about itself, captured in a sentence.
In order to understand the real meaning of this statement I started holding interviews with staff members and members of the Board of Governors of The British School. The backgrounds of the interviewees varied from teaching to management, and provided a very good cross section of opinions. I also analysed the website, we held a survey amongst parents, and I browsed through all the printed material the school provides.
What I found was that the school has two sides: the tangible (the education provided and the standards it aspires to achieve) and the non-tangible....the Indian soul. The tangible part is reflected in the structure of the site, the use of clear (Indian!) colours and a "Subway-map" system of navigation. We have had to make some sacrifices as a result of technological choices, but the end result still has the clarity that I had in mind.
The "Indian soul" however, proved more difficult to visualise. It is there because one can feel it, as it is expressed in the environment of the school as well as through the behaviour of the school's inhabitants: the teachers, the supporting staff and mostly the students, but it is not visible. However, it is precisely this Indian soul that distinguishes The British School from the other international schools that offer their services in Delhi, which is why trying to visualise it was very important.
The British School is Indian in the sense that everything is connected to everything.
Connection is not a purpose but a given fact.
In this respect The British School resembles an Indian family: everyone is connected to everyone and is therefore influenced by the events in someone else's life.
And this is how I finally came to choose the eyes!
In The British School, souls are meeting, interacting, influencing each other, but always respectful and never indoctrinating or assimilating. It is as if they pass through each other, leaving a trace of themselves behind, enriching and broadening the mind they pass through.
And eyes are the mirrors of the soul......
The eyes that you see on the website are reflecting the broad variety of cultures and backgrounds that can be found in The British School. They pass through each other and temporarily the two sets of eyes are blended, only to then reveal the new pair of eyes. Their movement of fading in and out is symbolic for the souls that pass, meet, and broaden forever.
