About
Design strategy leader with 15+ years of experience creating digital products and initiatives.
Simplifying complexity.
I approach design as a strategic responsibility—one that shapes how decisions are made, how trust is earned, and how organizations scale without losing coherence.
My work focuses on discernment over process: identifying which decisions matter most, where clarity will have the greatest impact, and how design choices compound over time. In complex systems, especially those people rely on financially or operationally, clarity is not a nice-to-have—it’s foundational.
I help organizations not only make good design decisions, but build the teams and shared language that make those decisions stick.
Tools and frameworks matter, but what lasts is a shared understanding of why something works and when it doesn’t.
I’m especially interested in how teams and experiences scale — how the right patterns and principles guide decisions as products and organizations grow. Before adding new elements, I look for opportunities to clarify and reuse what’s already there. In my experience, restraint is often what keeps work coherent over time.
As a player-coach, I stay close to the work when judgment is required and step back when teams are operating with clarity. I think of design systems as cultural memory: they encode values, reduce friction, and help teams make consistent decisions even when no one is watching.
I care deeply about clarity in interaction and experience. When people understand what’s happening and what’s expected of them, confidence follows. This confidence is what allows products and teams to move faster without losing quality.
15+
Years of professional design experience working with agency and client-side product design teams.
8+
Years of managing high-performing product design teams and leading transformation initiatives for companies at scale.
5+
Years as an Adjunct Professor of Design at Parsons and Princeton University, mentoring the next generation of creative innovators.
Services
From early-stage exploration to full product rollouts, I work across the entire lifecycle of complex products—shaping direction, clarifying decisions, and helping teams deliver work that holds up over time. My practice spans hands-on design, experience strategy, and leadership, with a focus on building systems and teams that scale without losing coherence, care, or craft.
I partner closely with product, engineering, and brand teams to ensure experience and expression evolve harmoniously as products scale. I’m particularly interested in where AI can accelerate design processes without displacing judgment—using it to reduce friction, surface insight, and support better decision-making, while preserving the human discernment that makes products feel intentional and trustworthy.
Design Vision & Direction
Articulating a clear, shared point of view that guides decisions, tradeoffs, and quality over time.
Design Strategy & Discernment
Defining priorities and constraints that shape durable, trustworthy products.
Discovery & Problem Framing
Clarifying what matters most and where design can have the greatest impact.
Creative & Experience Direction
Setting a clear bar for craft, clarity, and care—and helping teams understand why it matters.
Product & Design Leadership
Guiding teams through ambiguity while protecting quality as products scale.
Design Systems & Product Coherence
Building durable patterns that enable speed without sacrificing consistency or trust.
Stakeholder & Executive Partnership
Aligning founders and cross-functional leaders around design-led decisions
AI-Enabled Design Operations
Using AI thoughtfully to reduce friction and support better design decision-making.
Values
Simplicity
Clear problem framing, simple mental models, and usable outcomes over novelty for its own sake.
Partnership
Working closely with product, engineering, data, and leadership to align design intent with business and technical realities.
Scale
Enabling teams and products to grow thoughtfully without compromising coherence or trust.
Insights
Focusing on outcomes that matter—measurable value for users, teams, and organizations—not just polished deliverables.
Human-Centered
Grounding design decisions in research, behavioral insight, and lived experience while maintaining high standards of craft.
Sustainability
Leading processes, design systems, and cultures that enable teams to do their best work over time.
Testimonials
“Rachel is a gifted professor who has the ability to cultivate high levels of critical thinking and creativity from her students.
I reviewed a range of students' end of semester projects and was impressed with the quality of ideas, presentation skills and, most importantly, potential contributions to the world of strategic design management. She is a true contributor to the field of strategic design.”
Top 50 Keynote Speakers in the World | Creativity Strategist | Advisor | Author
“Rachel brings thoughtfulness and critical thinking to every project.
She is a pleasure to work with. I hope to have the good fortune of working with her again.”
Podcast Host & Design Operations Leader
“Working with Rachel was insightful, exciting, and rewarding.
Rachel is an excellent creative lead and a valuable asset for any creative team.”
Staff Product Designer @ Meta
“I had the pleasure of working with Rachel on a global financial services project whilst at Tigerspike, finding her work to be considered, timely and impeccably executed.
Her ability to think both holistically and strategically, whilst also producing insightful and creative solutions, allowed our team to overcome tight timings and fluctuating requirements to deliver a successful outcome for our client. I thoroughly enjoyed collaborating with Rachel and highly recommend her.”
Product Manager at Enboarder
