Tiberah Tsehai, TsehaiNY Staff
Published October 11, 2009

“Graphic design is something I stumbled upon by accident but it became my passion.”

-Tigist Kelkay, Designer 

Her designs are eye-catchy, her work uplifting.  Tigist Kelkay - a gifted designer - is an example of what we can become with ambition.

The oldest of five, Tigist describes her upbringing in Ethiopia as a well-rounded one, thanks to her parents.  “They have done everything to help us focus on our studies and we all did great in school.  I’m always indebted to them, for they have never failed to make us happy and content, even if it meant going out of their way.”  As a child, she dreamt of becoming an astronaut.  “I used to read books about the outer space a lot.”  By ninth grade Tigist knew she wanted to become a designer/architect.  “After graduation, although I still had an interest in architecture, I was more drawn toward the field of graphic design.” 

Floating in the sea

Ethiopian New Year 2001

African Woman

Tigist graduated from Addis Ababa University with a Bachelors Degree in Architecture and Urban Planning and has been residing in America for the past two years and a half.  “I always saw my life in Ethiopia.  When the opportunity [to live in America] presented itself, I was faced with a hard decision.”  While it was terrifying to leave everything she knew and start a new life, Tigist was convinced that “coming to America was a chance to explore a very different environment and I was ready to throw in a little challenge into my life.”  With that ambition and keeping that motivation, Tigist landed a job for an engineering firm in New York where she currently works as a CAD Designer/Marketing Assistant.  She is also a freelance graphic artist. 

Designing is a line of work that comes with many rewards and challenges.  “The best reward for my work is the feedback I receive from clients.  It always gives me a thrill to see clients pleased with my work and I especially can’t wait to see a piece back from the printers to see how the design turned out.”  The biggest challenge of being a designer “and the worst part of the design process” is when all creative inspiration vanishes.  “It’s like ‘writer’s block’ and due to this fact meeting deadlines can be a big challenge.”  And then there’s the “fight for self expression.”  Tigist believes all designers resist having their design being either rejected, changed, or watered down.  “But at the end of the day, the design produced has to meet the requirements and needs set by the client.”