About
Design strategy leader with 15+ years of experience creating digital products and initiatives.
Simplifying complexity.
My work spans design strategy, systems thinking, and experience design across tech, finance, and culture—bridging business goals with deeply human outcomes.
I’m most at home in ambiguous problem spaces, where the challenge isn’t just designing the product, but aligning vision, incentives, and execution across teams.
As a player-coach, I lead creative and cross-functional teams with a focus on craft, measurable impact, and building teams that can sustain quality over time.
Throughout my career, I’ve led and advised design organizations working at scale—partnering closely with product, engineering, data, and executive leadership. My approach is grounded in systems: design systems, organizational systems, and the cognitive systems people use to make sense of complex tools.
Alongside industry work, I’ve taught and lectured in academic and civic contexts, which continues to shape how I think about design’s role in the world. I believe strong design leadership is equal parts rigor and empathy—knowing when to simplify, when to hold complexity, and how to create the conditions for good work to emerge.
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 ideation to full product rollouts, I work across all stages of product development, delivering high-impact design and leading high-performing teams.
I’m currently interested in ways that AI accelerates design processes and where they meet craft and design decision-making.
Design Strategy
Design Discovery
Creative Direction
Product Design Direction
Product Design Management
Stakeholder Engagement
AI Enabled Design Ops
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
Scalable systems—products, platforms, and teams—that hold together under real-world complexity and growth.
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 diversity 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. When working with her, you are sure to be delighted with the end product.
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
