As an experienced design leader, Rachel provides creative, editorial, and operational guidance on a fractional basis. With expertise building brands from scratch and sixteen years at major media and tech companies, she’s an ideal thought partner for organizations of all sizes. Rachel requires minimal onboarding and has helped agencies not only win pitches but scope out the project and oversee the execution. In the realm of good, fast, and cheap design, Rachel appreciates constraints and merges strategic intuition with high craft.

As a design systems and ops expert, Rachel helps brands retain their integrity in a world demanding disruption. Blending creative vision with pragmatism, she adapts well to fast-paced, budget-conscious projects. Drawing on culture trends, she can concept and deliver distinct brand identities — from visual territories to launch campaigns, motion and sonic identities, and more. Now a solopreneur, Rachel provides hands-on or creative leadership as an embedded yet fractional partner, like last summer’s part-time executive creative director role guiding HoneyBook’s in-house brand studio team.

Beyond brand identities, Rachel has influenced initiatives such as TV pitch decks, print publication launches, book covers, independent film posters, and digital experiences. A visual strategist at heart, she believes that all projects require a mini discovery phase in order to get fully immersed in the competitive and aspirational landscape. Rachel’s process enables visuals to transcend mere looks to become vehicular — driving concepts, ordering information, and guiding understanding between creators and audiences.

Rachel is also passionate about crafting innovative educational experiences for diverse learning environments. She named “The Pedagogy of Generative Transformation” for Krista Tippett (in collaboration with Fraîche Design Thinking) and designed curricula for prestigious institutions like the School of Visual Arts and California College of the Arts. Her career design elective at CCA exemplifies her ability to address evolving work models and empower emerging leaders. Rachel adeptly translates complex concepts into engaging curricula, seamlessly adapting semester-long courses into impactful workshop series.

Though Rachel observes her clients’ cultures from the outside, she is capable of driving change and innovation within organizations. She believes that connecting employees to mission, community, and core values through storytelling and shared experiences can (re)build an enduring culture. As a design leader, Rachel feels that you don’t manage the creative process, you enable it. With more distributed-first models, investing in culture programs beyond the physical walls of an office space are more critical than ever. Leverage Rachel to help build new rituals and operating systems for your teams.

Rachel navigates organizational design complexity with extensive leadership experience and diverse skills. Having built multidisciplinary teams for several brand initiatives, she can determine optimal structures, identify diverse talent, and address business needs before suggesting who to invest in longterm. Rachel also augments in-house capabilities. She thrives shaping equitable employee experiences — building teams from scratch (0 to 1) or fixing them for a company’s next evolution. Rachel essentially “designs” how people work, actively connecting org culture and internal brand.

With hybrid work models becoming the new norm, many knowledge workers are redefining career success. Having held titles ranging from design director to head of creative, Rachel’s experience as a hiring manager provides individuals with behind-the-scenes insights and practical resources. She’s coached countless professionals — from struggling new managers to designers looking to optimize resumes and negotiate their salaries or rates. Rachel seeks to empower all people as they start — or continue — designing their careers.