Rachel [she/her] is a Parisian creative director, graphic designer, educator, and speaker based in San Francisco. She runs her own consultancy where her approach is informed by experiences both in-house and agency side. As a fractional design executive and queer leader, Rachel believes in fostering inclusive spaces that unlock human potential. She is committed to designing teams that build brands — with a focus on culture and technology.

Over the last sixteen years, Rachel has continued to use design as a tool for change — from building multidisciplinary teams at The New York Times’ award-winning T Brand Studio, GQ Magazine, and Meta to launching story-driven experiences at Departures, Godfrey Dadich, and Airbnb. Her career has also followed the rise and dominance of an entire era of digital design.

Now consulting as a solopreneur, Rachel has influenced many exciting projects for her clients including: launching editorial publications from scratch, leading org design efforts, developing brand identity systems, building TV show pitch decks for public figures and media executives, concepting book covers, shaping employee experiences, and coaching design leaders. Check out her resume here.


Services

  • As an experienced design leader, Rachel provides creative, editorial, and operational guidance on a fractional basis. With expertise building brands from scratch and fifteen 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 brings exceptional direction and strategic intuition urgently 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 her current part-time executive creative director role guiding a Warner Bros. rebrand.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.


Select Clients

Anew Logo

Select Clients

When Rachel is not consulting, she seeks to influence the next creative generation as a design educator at the California College of the Arts (CCA) and the School of The New York Times (NYTEdu). At CCA specifically, she’s teaching two courses called “Leadership by Design” and “Designing Your Career” for graduate students completing their Master’s degree in Interaction Design.

Beyond this, Rachel is the Women in Leadership & Design (WILD) Chair on the AIGA SF Board, an active member of Neol and Queer Design Club, and previously served on the board of The Society of Publication Designers (2015–18). She is also an avid public speaker, passionate mentor, and workshop facilitator. All of these platforms amplify her commitment to supporting women- and non-binary-led causes and addressing gender-based disparities in the design industry. Her PRINT Magazine article captures her determination to see more women founders launching their own small creative businesses.

Nominated for a 2022 Webby for her work on Departures, she has been recognized by Inc. as one of 2016’s “30 under 30 Movers and Shakers” and by Forbes as one of 2015’s “30 Under 30” in media.




Teaching

Academy of Art University
California College of the Arts
NYT Edu
Portland State University
Pratt
School of Visual Arts
University of Pennsylvania
University of San Francisco
University of Southern California

Discover all teaching experiences

Podcast Interviews

Tune in to Teal’s Hiring Behind The Scenes Podcast and Nonlinear Podcast (Episode 16) as well as Wix’s Now What? Podcast (Episode 4) to hear Rachel dive into the future of independent work, eight essential skills to manage teams today, the art of packaging your skills to sync with a business’s needs, and all the pivotal moments that have shaped her professional journey.

Get in Touch

Email / Instagram / Threads / X
LinkedIn / Read.cv

Portrait illustrated by Joe McKendry.

© 2024 Rachel Gogel LLC