Avni Nijhawan — Freelance Web Designer in San Francisco

Every changemakercommunity builder dreamer has a story.

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Illustrated collage of community scenes including voting, healthcare, farming, and outdoor recreation.
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Let’s uncover yours.

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Avni Nijhawan is a freelance web designer and Squarespace designer in San Francisco and the Bay Area. Custom website design for nonprofits, healthcare brands, and socially conscious businesses.

About Avni Nijhawan, freelance web designer

Hi! I’m a digital explorer & strategist.

I’m big on intentional design and storytelling that matters. Every project is a mini adventure!

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Trusted by

UC Berkeley
Folx Health
Sierra Club
June Shine
Lincoln Law
The Nueva School

& more

Web design portfolio and case studies

  • Mockup of Harvesting for Seed website on different devices.

    Harvesting for Seed

    A nonprofit with a decade of history and 100+ milestones needed a way to tell that story. I built an interactive timeline that turned their archive into an immersive digital exhibit — launched on time with thousands of visitors in the first three months.

    View Site
  • Mockup of Homeless Prenatal website on different devices.

    Homeless Prenatal Program

    The Homeless Prenatal Program had outgrown their website — it was cluttered, hard to navigate, and didn't reflect their new brand identity. In collaboration with Cultivate Strategies, I designed and developed a 30+ page site with strategic content placement, custom animations, and a templated structure built for easy updates. The redesign won an AAPC Pollie Award.

    View Site
  • Mockup of Bili Blanket Baby website on different devices.

    Bili Blanket Baby

    Bili Blanket Baby gets phototherapy blankets to newborns with jaundice — sometimes in hours. But their website wasn't keeping up with their mission. I rebuilt it from strategy through design: three distinct user journeys, Spanish-language support, simplified ordering for stressed parents, and a credible experience for medical providers. After launch, I also redesigned their operational materials, sales deck, flyers, mailers, postcards, and social templates.

    View Site
  • Mockup of FOLX Health website on different devices.

    FOLX Health

    I designed and built four campaign sites for FOLX Health, a queer healthcare company. Each project had its own visual identity and custom interactive elements — from community story submissions to social integrations and animated carousels.

    Case Study coming Soon

Web design process

*

I start every project by asking a lot of questions,
(ok, this part never really ends)*

before finally designing & building using the tools of today.*

then I distill what really matters from all the information, *

*

Cartoon of Avni listening to a client
Cartoon beaker containing the words "user research, analytics, brand goals, competitors, content sitemap, interviews, data, insights"
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*

Cartoon of Avni designing with a client
New Site Ideas (16).png
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Bugs are handled, too.

Bugs are handled, too.

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Client reviews for Avni Nijhawan

  • "Working with Avni was one of the best decisions we made for our business.”

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  • “I work with freelancers all the time and Avni's a standout.”

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  • “Avni is the whole package.”

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  • “Our team has worked with Avni on developing seven websites (and counting), and we are incredibly impressed by her consistent ability to make magic from the ground up.”

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  • “Avni was able to work with our team to understand the vision for the project, not just the aesthetic and design aspirations but really dug deep into strategy, audience, and metrics.”

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  • “Avni and her team were incredibly communicative and efficient in their process.”

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  • “Avni has an attention to detail, and a thoughtfulness around translating design via code that is so refreshing in the world of development.”

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  • “It was such a delight to work with her and I LOVED the final brand book.”

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  • “She's been a blessing to my team and clients.”

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About Avni Nijhawan

I come from a multimedia journalism background, which means I'm obsessed with getting to the bottom of things and helping people see what they’ve been missing. I make sure your audience gets what you do and why they should care— minus the jargon.

My process borrows from the newsroom: I ask the hard questions, help your team get clear on what your audience needs to hear, and build a site that they’ll remember. The goal isn't just a great website — it's helping you understand your own story well enough to tell it without me.

When I'm not at my desk, I’m probably working with my VIP client Boba while listening to my favorite podcast, “How I Built This.”

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Web design services

Hire me for any of these.

  • Strategy-driven websites built around your story. I handle the full process — discovery, wireframes, UI and UX design, and custom development including animations, interactive elements, and responsive builds. Every site is designed to be visually compelling, easy to navigate, and simple for you to maintain.

  • From brand photography to graphic design, I create or source the visual assets that bring your brand to life beyond the website. That includes brand books, presentations, flyers, social templates, print collateral, and imagery — everything you need to show up consistently across every touchpoint.

  • With a journalism background, I approach your messaging like a storyteller. I help define your voice, structure your copy, and build a content hierarchy that guides visitors toward action — whether that's donating, booking, or buying. I distill complex information into clear, intentional narratives that connect with your audience.

  • I partner with agencies as a white label subcontractor on Squarespace, Shopify, and custom web design projects — from full builds to overflow support when your team is at capacity. I communicate clearly with your team and deliver work you can confidently ship under your brand.

I want to hear about you.

Contact Avni Nijhawan

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