Estrela Credentials
Estrela Studio01 / 14

Estrela Studio Credentials ©2026

Introduction

Competitive digital solutions

Welcome to our digital credentials. Estrela Studio is a small, female-led design studio based in Vienna and Cape Town, specialising in digital products, websites, and brands for teams across South Africa, Europe, and the US. Over the next few pages you’ll meet the team, see how we work, and explore some of the work we’re proudest of.

Our services

What we do

As a committed team of digital product design experts, we tailor our services to the unique needs of each client. Using data-driven research, we create scalable solutions that will grow your product and brand.

An app shown on a phone resting on a green velvet chair

Digital product design

From early concepts to complex platforms, we design intuitive, high-quality digital products that bring together user experience (UX), user interface design (UI) and strategic thinking.

  • Product discovery and UX research
  • UX audits and usability testing
  • User experience and interaction design
  • Product prototyping
  • UI design and design systems
A retail website open on a laptop

Website & e-commerce design

We design distinctive, user-friendly websites that bring brands to life. Combining intuitive UX strategy and thoughtful UI design, we craft bespoke marketing websites and e-commerce platforms.

  • Website UX design and strategy
  • Information architecture
  • Wireframing
  • Website UI and responsive design
  • Interactive prototyping
  • Website audits and usability testing
L/CFO business cards on a wooden chair

Branding design & strategy

Why look like someone else when you want to stand out? Together, we craft unique brand identities and custom logo with a digital-first mindset.

  • Brand strategy and positioning
  • Custom logos
  • Art direction and visual language
  • Brand identity guidelines
  • Brand applications and production
  • Copywriting
UX/UI process

UX/UI process
overview

  1. Phase 00

    Scoping audit

    This audit allows us to accurately understand project scope, structure, and the complexity of your product.

  2. Phase 01

    UX discovery

    Our process then begins with UX Discovery, where we dive into research, opportunities and strategies to shape your product.

  3. Phase 02

    UX design

    Here we map out the new structure and journey of your product using information architecture and wireframes.

  4. Phase 03

    UI discovery

    With a solid UX blueprint in hand, we move on to researching and crafting solutions tailored to your existing or new brand.

  5. Phase 04

    UI design

    Next up, after finalising the visual look and feel, we apply the UI direction to our wireframes and establish the design library.

  6. Phase 05

    Dev support

    When designs are ready, we team up with developers to provide quality assurance, continuous support, and ensure a smooth transition.

Brand design process

Branding process
overview

  1. Phase 00

    Scoping audit

    This audit allows us to accurately understand project scope, existing brand structure, and the complexity of your brand redesign or refresh.

  2. Phase 01

    Brand strategy

    In the Brand Strategy phase, we delve into the Brand DNA that will set the foundation for the new visual identity and language for the brand.

  3. Phase 02

    Brand design

    The Brand Design phase focuses on formulating key directions that will guide the new design for your logo and its supporting visual language.

  4. Phase 03

    Brand guidelines

    Following the establishment of a brand direction and logo, this involves outlining communication strategy and design usage standards in a guidelines document.

  5. Phase 04

    Brand asset rollout

    With your new brand ready to go, our goal is to continue to support you in building out scalable brand assets, for both print and digital touchpoints.

PayJustNow

An app redesign
built for discovery

The brief
  • Brand design
  • UX design
  • UI design

Overview

PayJustNow, South Africa’s leading Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) platform, lets customers split purchases into three interest-free instalments. As one of our longest-standing clients, we’ve worked closely with their team to evolve the app to meet a growing market. Moving beyond payment management and checkout, our goal was to help shape a platform that could grow into a competitive marketplace and enrich their customers' experience.

Challenge

BNPL in South Africa is a rapidly growing yet relatively uncharted space, which placed PayJustNow in a position to lead the way. The challenge was to evolve their app into a competitive, feature-rich product experience while setting a new standard for local fintech design.

PayJustNow is South Africa’s leading Buy Now, Pay Later platform and one of our longest-standing clients. We helped evolve the app beyond payments and checkout into a competitive marketplace, setting a new standard for local fintech design.

Explore case study
PayJustNow app on a phone among pink tennis balls on a green court
HelpGuide

A digital revamp
for mental wellbeing

The brief
  • Brand design
  • UX design
  • UI design

Overview

HelpGuide.org is a revered independent nonprofit and a global authority in mental health support, offering evidence-based guidance and tools to millions seeking to improve their mental health and wellbeing.

Challenge

The organisation faced the challenge of revamping its digital presence to stand out amidst competitors, aiming to enhance user trust and accessibility while preserving its established reputation as a reliable mental health resource.

HelpGuide.org is a trusted nonprofit offering evidence-based mental health guidance to millions. We revamped its digital presence to build trust and accessibility, while protecting its reputation as a reliable resource.

Explore case study
Two people embracing against a blue sky, from HelpGuide photography
Yucca Packaging

A packaging website
with purpose

The brief
  • Brand design
  • UX design
  • UI design

Overview

Yucca is a leading South African packaging supplier with a global footprint, delivering sustainable, high-quality solutions to the food, agricultural, and processing industries.

Challenge

The task was to create a brand and website that showcased Yucca as an expert and leader in their field, while staying true to their humble, grounded ethos.

Yucca is a leading South African packaging supplier with a global footprint. We created a brand and website that show its expertise, while staying true to its humble, grounded ethos.

Explore case study
Yucca Packaging website on a tablet held on a stand
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Work samples

Additional website examples

Work samples

Selected work

Bridgement — Mobile and website
Bridgement — Website
Bridgement — Website
Sims Lifecycle Services — Website
Sims Lifecycle Services — Website screens
Sims Lifecycle Services — Mobile
Yucca Packaging — Brand
Yucca Packaging — Website
Yucca Packaging — E-commerce
Yucca Packaging — Website
Yucca Packaging — Website screens
PayJustNow — Website
PayJustNow — Business website
PayJustNow — App
PayJustNow — Campaign
PayJustNow — App marketplace
PayJustNow — Web marketplace
Payfast — Mobile website
Payfast — Brand and website
FinChoice — Brand campaign
FinChoice — App and website
Mobile app design
ikeja — App
ikeja — App screens
The Vineyard Hotel — Mobile
The Vineyard Hotel — Website
The Vineyard Hotel — Website pages
The Vineyard Hotel — Morii restaurant
L/CFO — Brand and website
SOCO — App and campaign
SOCO — Brand
itemate — Brand
Website design — process
Website design — landing page
OCFO — Brand and proposal
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Our team

Who we are

At Estrela, we design to champion the people behind the brands. We’re big on honesty, collaboration, and good coffee, the foundations of every great partnership. Our promise is simple: to guide you with a steady, nurturing hand and turn your ideas, big or small, into brands, websites, and experiences that truly matter.

Natalia Carvalho
Natalia CarvalhoFounder & design director
Leigh-Ann Clarke
Leigh-Ann ClarkeCreative director
Sydney Warren
Sydney WarrenProduct designer
Phil Quma
Phil QumaStudio manager
Lauren Forssman
Lauren ForssmanProduct designer
Abby Jankelow
Abby JankelowProduct designer
Penelope, the studio dog
PenelopeChief happiness officer
Clients

People we loved working with

We’ve had the pleasure of working with fintechs, telecoms companies, nonprofits, hotels, and manufacturers across South Africa, Europe, and the US. Here are some of the teams we’ve built with.

  • Payfast
  • NightsBridge
  • iiDENTIFii
  • Sanlam
  • FinChoice
  • PayJustNow
  • GetSmarter
  • Bridgement
  • OCFO
  • Ikeja
  • LCFO
  • HelpGuide.org
  • Itemate Solutions
  • Airtel
  • MTN
  • Fierce
  • Capitec
  • Bashwax
  • UX South Africa
  • Cape Town Creative Academy
  • PT Flash
  • SiteCare
  • SOCO
  • Miura
Testimonials

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 NewbornFormer 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-KopoticSims Lifecycle Services (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 HarrisonFormer 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 BagleyFounder 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 SmithExecutive 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 McChleryChief 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 HeskethMarketing & 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 BondCEO, 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 BreukelenCEO, 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 ArcherFounder, 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 DiermenDirector and Co-Founder, Zulik
2026

Rates

ServicesRand Hourly
UX Strategy & Design/ R1,100
Design System Audit and Setup/ R1,100
UI Design/ R1,100
Brand Identity and Logo Design/ R1,100
Rush Charge (1-2 Day Immediate Turnaround)/ R1,500
Hourly Training and Once-off Consultation Rate/ R2,500
Half-Day Workshop/ R10,000
Full Day Workshop/ R18,000
Project engagement

Let’s work together

  1. 01Free initial consultation
  2. 02Project proposal/estimate
  3. 03Project approval
  4. 04Project timeline
  5. 05Initial deposit issued
  6. 06Scope of work agreement issued
  7. 07Work commences

Please note: A 50% deposit is required before work commences. For retainer clients, invoices are issued on the last day of the month, and payment is due a week upon receipt.

Sketching wireframes in a notebook beside a desk calendar and a design magazine

ThankYou