Welcome to our next “Follow the Footsteps of” series as we visit New Zealand.
Meet Jacinda Turnbull, Graphic Designer, who has been with The 10,000 Toes Campaign since the very beginning nearly 6 years ago! Jacinda is based in “boring, rainy Auckland” – her words, not ours.
While many of our wonderful Ambassadors are on the road across the Pacific, we have a great team behind the scenes working in administration, fundraising, design, marketing, IT and more, to bring the brand to life and showcase all our health charity work and projects.
I’m based in New Zealand as a freelance designer and right from the get-go, I’ve been designing elements for The 10,000 Toes Campaign. The impact of diabetes across the South Pacific is immense, and this campaign was obviously making a big difference — so my initial involvement of 12 months has so far turned into quite a few years!
I’ve seen first-hand in my own friends how lifestyle interventions can reverse diabetes. I also had a friend in the USA die from complications of diabetes, something tragically all too common. And oh so avoidable! This is more than enough motivation for me to want to continue being part of something that is improving people’s lives.
A Great Team
I started as the only graphic designer for The 10,000 Toes Campaign. Now there are many talented team members who contribute to campaign visuals, so it’s nice to know there are more cogs in the wheel than just me. I’m one small part of a great team. I admit I get a thrill when I see my work pop up on social media or hear about positive health outcomes because of this campaign.
“Right from its inception, in 2017, I’ve stayed with the campaign, following its growth and contributing to artwork and design. Everything from logos to merchandise, newsletters, social media visuals, signage and most recently sock design (which is something new for me as a graphic designer)!
I’m really proud of the work of The 10,000 Toes Campaign (I affectionally call it “10K Toes”). I’m not surprised that it’s grown to what it is today. With the right people leading and all those ambassadors getting on board, it really is a movement for such a time as this.
Cultural Differences
Occasionally I’ll get thrown a design curveball. The sock design is a good example. Having never designed a pattern for socks before, I had to do a bit of research into the processes so I could better understand where to even start. It’s all part of a process of growth and development — and usually, it works out great! Another challenge I must be always mindful of is designing for different cultures.
What might be perfectly acceptable here in New Zealand is not necessarily the case in another nation such as Fiji, or Papua New Guinea, for instance. Just because we all live on the same corner of the globe, doesn’t mean we all think the same way. I just have to be careful to remember who I’m designing for, and what the audience will (or won’t) appreciate.
I design for many non-profit organisations and NGOs. I’ll admit I get a kick out of knowing the small part I play is doing some lasting good in this world. I’ve been a graphic designer for over 20 years now, and I’m not sick of it.
Every morning I wake up excited about what might turn up in my email inbox that I can sink my teeth into. I’m one of those very lucky people who get to do what God wired them up to do—every day! I try never to take it for granted and am always grateful for every request that comes through… no matter how menial or overwhelming.
Once I found a good template for pattern design, I was on a roll. Trying lots of different patterns and colours. On one of those patterns, I used footprints. This triggered more ideas from the concept team, and I was asked to do something a little different.
Missing Toes
If you get a chance to look closely at the new sock designs, you’ll notice that about three-quarters of the feet have a missing toe. I was informed that noncommunicable diseases are responsible for 74% of all deaths globally. Those kinds of statistics are really hard to get your head around. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/noncommunicable-diseases
Did you know the original 10,000 Toes Logo had all five toes? In 2020 I was asked to remove a toe from the logo. It was a painful procedure, but I have a feeling it prolonged the life of the campaign.
If you’re on Facebook, please like and follow my page https://www.facebook.com/dindaproductions Comment on one of my posts, and I’ll give you a little shout-out. And of course, keep following and supporting the good work of the 10K Toes Campaign… they really are stamping out diabetes in the South Pacific.”
