AVALON SANTOS WILLMOTT
BRAND DESIGN & COMMUNICATIONS
I am an ethically driven Brand Designer and Communications Lead with over 15 years of creative expertise, dedicated to using design as a force for positive change.
My professional journey began in South Africa, where I studied Art Direction and spent six years in leading agencies in Johannesburg and Paris. There I contributed to international campaigns and earned recognition, including two Cannes Gold Lions. Yet, I became increasingly aware of the disconnect between my values and the work I was producing. This led me to reimagine the role of design in creating impact.
In 2006 I relocated to Scotland and joined the Findhorn Foundation, a pioneering eco-village community recognised worldwide for its approach to sustainable living. As Head of Design, I shaped the organisation’s brand and communications while also immersing myself in community-led practices of collaboration, governance, and resilience.
Since 2012 I have worked independently as a Brand Designer and Strategist, based at the Findhorn Hive, a social enterprise hub. I have supported a wide range of organisations, from grassroots charities and third-sector initiatives to national campaigns and international NGOs, bringing clarity and creativity to complex projects.
More recently, my role has evolved into Communications Lead, combining strategic brand guardianship with storytelling that sparks emotional connection and inspires action. Highlights include designing internationally recognised campaigns such as the Greenwash Swatch for Creatives for Climate, launched at Cannes Lions 2023 and featured in global media.
Today, I bring this unique blend of design, strategy, and ethical communications to every project I take on. Whether building brand systems, shaping narratives, or creating campaigns, my focus remains the same: to use creativity as a tool for meaningful, sustainable change.
MEMBER OF
SOME OF MY PREVIOUS CLIENTS
"Avalon has just worked with us at Learning through Landscapes. She undertook a new logo design, taking us through an excellent process of garnering our reasoning and expectations at first. The work she undertook in developing those inputs into a practical and simple solutions, grounded in our branding language, was invaluable and will influence not on the the project she was tasked with, but also a wider piece of work around future logo and brand identity. She exceeded our expectations and I look forward to working with her again."
Matt Robinson - Learning Through Landscapes
"Avalon was absolutely brilliant at capturing the essence of what we wanted in our branding, and translating that into something practical and beautiful. She was so patient with us, very available, and always had really sound advice to give us when we weren't sure what to do. We would recommend her to everyone, and are so grateful for her work on our brand!"
Sally Bogale - Green Bridge Organics
"God Avalon,
Where would I be without you!
Thanks so much, you have really brought a heap of knowledge, skill and artistry to the table."
Mark Yeadon - c-monsta.com
"Avalon is a great designer, wonderful to work with, she has great creative ideas, and a wiIIingness to both hold her opinions on what will work in the design, but also willing to shift and change to what the needs of the project are so that the end resuIts satisfy everyone. I highly recommend her. "
Kathy White - Joyful Parents
"Avalon is a resourceful, creative, and solution-oriented person who was frequently able to come up with new and innovative approaches to her assigned projects. She functioned well as a team leader, and she also worked effectively as a team member."
Eva Ward - Findhorn Foundation Communications Manager
"Avalon is a gift because she has one of the best attitudes of anyone I have ever worked with. She is demanding of herself and those around her, but she never fails to smile and to lift people up with her enthusiasm. And she is dissatisfied. She wants to explore. In her art direction, in her creativity, in her life. Which means she never accepts the status quo - which is a hallmark of all good creatives."
Matthew Bull - CEO Mullen Lowe SA
"When I first met Avalon, I was immediately impressed with her charm and sparkling personality. I knew that she would be someone I could easily put in front of clients. She has an inherent sense of passion for what she does."
Ronald Wolhman - ECO Mullen Lowe Group, Paris