A people-first digital studio who build with heart.
Small but Mighty
At Estrela, we’re a small team by design. Female-led, close-knit, and committed to showing up with passion and dedication. We pride ourselves on creating one-on-one partnerships that feel personal, not transactional. Balance matters to us, because thriving as people helps us thrive as designers. So we celebrate the wins, learn from the challenges, and keep pushing ourselves to grow. At the heart of it all is that spark you can’t quite put your finger on, but you feel it in everything we do.
Our Mission & Values
Why We Create
At Estrela, we design to champion the people behind the brands. We focus on solving real challenges so we can build better products and more human experiences. We believe in making a meaningful contribution through collaboration, care and craft, standing alongside our clients as partners and advocates. With a steady, supportive hand, we bring ideas to life, no matter the size, to create work that truly moves people.
Our Values
Creatively Curious
We thrive on the unconventional and champion bold, original ideas. Our love of learning fuels our drive to explore uncharted territories in our designs and thinking.
Freedom to Lead
At our core, we empower and trust each other to take ownership of our roles. We champion initiative, encouraging one another to lead with confidence and seek help when needed.
Design Excellence
We are dedicated to our craft and committed to delivering exceptional results in every project we touch. Our shared passion for design ensures that we always bring our best to the table.
Collective Success
We celebrate our victories and setbacks as a team, and recognise each as crucial for growth. Our success story is written with 'we' as the hero, and uplifts and recognises every voice.
Meet the team
Natalia Carvalho
Leigh-Ann Clarke
Kristen Patterson
Sydney Warren
Lauren Forssman
Abby Jankelow
Penelope Clarke
Some words from our valued clients
“The team at Estrela have been amazing and critical to our UI/UX journey, they challenge our thoughts for the better and have allowed us to become South Africa’s fastest-growing Buy Now Pay Later platform. I cannot recommend them enough.”
Craig Newborn
Former CEO, PayJustNow
“Working with Estrela Studio has been a genuinely outstanding experience. Their team brings a rare combination of creativity, technical expertise, and collaborative spirit. Estrela met us exactly where we were – they listened closely, understood the strategic goals and translated that direction into clear, compelling visual design. They led the project with confidence, and I recommend them without hesitation.”
Donna Blackwell-Kopotic
Sims Lifecycle Service (US)
“The Estrela team have a grasp of branding and product design like I've never seen before. We searched the globe for a tech-focused CI design agency and found that the top talent was right here in Cape Town.”
Colleen Harrison
Former Head of Marketing, Payfast
“Working with Natalia and the Estrela team is like working with a bomb squad. They know exactly which wires to cut to get exactly the results we were looking for. They are the only agency we have on speed dial.”
Jason Bagley
Founder and CEO, Growth Experts (US)
“Working with Natalia and the Estrela team on the HelpGuide rebrand has been a true pleasure. Their design approach is strategic, thoughtful, and truly user-centric, and we couldn't be more pleased with the results.”
Melinda Smith
Executive Director & Editor in Chief, HelpGuide (US)
“The team at Estrela Studio are a powerhouse squad of design, UI and UX professionals. Their DNA can be found in our brand for good reason. Smart, dedicated and always tackling each new brief with diligence and enthusiasm. Highly recommended without hesitation.”
Mark McChlery
Chief Data and Analytics Officer, PayJustNow
“Working with Estrela Studio has been a truly special experience. Leigh and Kristen invested themselves in our journey, capturing the essence of our brand and going the extra mile at every step. Their creativity, care, and dedication shine through in a site that feels world-class and truly ours. Sharing tears with us at launch was a testament to how much they cared. We’re deeply grateful and proud to recommend Estrela Studio.”
Keith Hesketh
Marketing & eCommerce Manager, Yucca Packaging
“Working with the Estrela team was a joy. The experience of turning an idea into a product design has the potential to be chaotic and overwhelming, but the experts at Estrela knew how to ask the right questions and turn the answers into a structured, clear design process that delivered stunning results that exceeded the project goals, and on deadline, to boot!”
Brianna Bond
CEO, LCFO (US)
“We at Itemate have worked with the Estrela team for the past two years. During this time, their professionalism and creativity has added a dimension to our solutions which has had a major positive impact on our client's experience and assisting us grow with these clients. A big thanks to Natalia and Team.”
Robert van Breukelen
CEO, Itemate Solutions
“Estrela has been fantastic to collaborate with and went to great detail to understand my brands needs and turned that into the most effective user experience for my customers. Look forward to working together again soon.”
Justin Archer
Founder, Bashwax Animation Studio
“Natalia and her team at Estrela are some of the best UX/UI designers we've had the privilege of working with. From conception through to execution, their thoughtfulness and thoroughness never fail to impress.”
Anton Van Diermen
Director and Co-Founder, Zulik
