My name’s Elke and I’m a single mom and founder of First Light Design. This means I do a lot of laundry, build Lego castles and jump on the trampoline. I’m also a graphic designer, which means that school hours, naps and nights are filled with coffee, client meetings and creating.

I think it’s good for people to know up front that I work around my child, as it can sometimes make for somewhat unusual working hours. Over the last seven years it’s worked wonderfully, though, and I have fantastic clients, both in South Africa and overseas. I love my daughter and my work, and I’m very thankful that I get to fill my days with both.

In case you’d like to know a bit more about my design experience, here you go… I graduated with a degree in Visual Communication from Stellenbosch University in 2001 and then worked as a graphic designer in Stellenbosch for the next few years. In 2006 I made the move to London, where I tried my hand at various jobs, including working for two design studios in the city. But my heart settled when I started working for Compassion UK, an international non-profit that works with children in developing countries.

My time on the communication team taught me far more than just new skills, and perspective and gratitude were probably the most valuable things I took back to South Africa with me in 2010. Since then I’ve been working as a graphic designer and I love that I so often get to play a part in helping to build someone’s dream!