Threesixty Design, is a small, yet highly creative, specialist studio working with a wide range of clients, some with high visibility products and profiles.

Having worked for Threesixty on a freelance basis, Davina Stean, whose son Jack is now 20 months old, has joined the studio on a permanent, three-day-a-week basis.

Working alongside the firm's design director Christopher Isted, Davina said: "I immediately felt an instrumental, important and valued part of the team."

The work involves launching, refreshing and building brands through creative and original graphic design for packaging, literature, web sites and point-of-sale material. With a stable of clients which include the Financial Times, food manufacturer Senoble and baby food client Plum, Davina enjoys seeing her work in the national press, online, and on the shelves of major food retailers.

Davina, who has 10 years experience in graphic design, packaging and branding, and has a young son still at the baby-food stage, said: "I particularly like working for Plum on their new products, helping to redesign and create new packaging which will help encourage increased sales. In Working closely with the client, I also have the opportunity to identify and help in the development of new products."

Having joined Threesixty just two months ago, Davina said: "Three days a week works well, but as Jack progresses through nursery to school days, I could envisage working more hours." Chris said: "Davina is a fantastic and talented addition to our team. She has a great work ethic and a strong commitment to getting the job done. The part time agreement works well for us and both parties try to be as flexible as possible."

For Davina, returning to work presented some challenges. She said: "At home, your child tends to be your main focus, and returning to work meant a lot of forward planning. On the days that I am at work I have to make sure that Jack has everything he needs so that I can go to work and give it my full commitment, and concentration, without distraction." Davina also said that it really helps if a company is flexible to accommodate for returning mums to deal with unplanned eventualities, such as nursery issues or days when the child is unwell.

Certainly, for Davina, in common with many returning-to-work-mothers, confidence can be an issue. She said: "After a break of any length of time you can start to doubt yourself slightly. I needed to get myself into the mindset that I was just as capable as before, if not more so, and go in with my head held high. For returning mothers I would say, don't panic about how you will cope, you will pick it up again really quickly."

The advantages and benefits, for Davina, of being back at work include the adult interaction and conversation, being consistently busy in a field she loves and using her skills on an inspiring range of client projects.

You can view the company's work at www.threesixtydesign.co.uk