“Good design is difficult to define, but instantly recognizable the moment you enter a room.”

MR SIMON MCDONALD

Design Director

Avalon Collective

Based in Singapore, I bring more than twenty-five years of international experience shaping hospitality and mixed-use environments across Asia. My career includes senior leadership roles at Avalon Collective, EDG, Wilson Associates, and HBA, directing complex projects from concept through delivery.

My approach combines narrative thinking with a strong sense of place to create memorable and emotionally engaging guest experiences. Through the considered use of colour, materiality, and spatial sequencing, I seek to create environments that are evocative, immersive, and rewarding to explore. This approach has informed recently completed Singapore projects including The Estate, Osteria Mozza restaurants, and the renovation of Pullman Orchard Road. The same design philosophy has also guided international projects such as Andaz Macau and Pullman Balikpapan.

Focused on advancing the craft of design, I actively explore the intersection of traditional practice and artificial intelligence. Through continual research, experimentation, and workflow development, I use AI to support concept generation, visualisation, and creative problem-solving—expanding the breadth of exploration while remaining firmly grounded in design judgement and built reality.