I recently had the pleasure of working with Trent Rivers Trust on a special commission to raise awareness of Trent Valley Way —a source-to-sea footpath that follows the River Trent through the heart of England.
After seeing my eco-metal pin badge for Surrey Wildlife Trust, I was contacted to make something similar by the local rivers charity. They are trying to raise awareness of the footpath, get people excited about it, and ultimately, increase the number of people actually walking the Trent, and they hoped a pin badge would do just that.
To celebrate the opening of the newest 15-mile stretch through Stoke-on-Trent, the team wanted something unique and memorable to hand out at their 22nd March event. Together, we landed on the idea of a custom eco-metal pin people could wear with pride after completing the walk.
Why an eco-metal pin?
When creating merchandise for a nature-themed charity, you want to make the right impression, so materials matter. By using these eco-metals, it uses 20 times less energy to produce than enamel pin badges and can be produced in the UK, so it has a lower carbon footprint, amongst other things. We took inspiration from enamel pins, using bold block colours to keep the look clear and striking while retaining the feel of something collectible and meaningful.
Creating the Eco-metal Pin design
The brief was to have a detailed eco-metal pin with a typical Trent riverscape with a footpath in the background and a kingfisher or heron in the foreground. After a few rounds of sketching, we quickly agreed that the kingfisher—perched on a post with the waymarker arrow icons to direct walkers along the walk—was the best option. They wanted the badge to say ‘Trent Valley Way’ and to withhold from location-specific cultural landmarks to promote the entirety of the TVW.
The final pin design used a typeface that aligns with the Trust’s existing branding. I also had the chance to design the backing cards, which I designed to feel like an extension of the eco-metal pin and landscape.
“Ferne was very responsive and a joy to work with from start to finish. She was quick to grasp the brief and came up with a brilliant design that captured the essence of the Trent Valley Way and its wildlife. I’d recommend her to anyone looking for inspiring wildlife artwork.”
The Author: Ferne Glannan-MacRae
Ferne Glannan-MacRae is a wildlife illustrator and designer with a passion for British wildlife and conservation. She creates intricate digital artwork on her iPad, capturing the beauty and diversity of the natural world. Before going freelance in 2022, Ferne honed her skills during six years in the print industry as a designer. With a background in wildlife photography, her work is deeply rooted in a love for nature and a commitment to raising awareness for wildlife on our doorstep.