We live in a time of uncertainty, but we can people thrive during change using design – and yes, even imagine a future full of joy.

Great products help us work, play, care for one another and thrive. We live in a time of complex adaptive system change – we can use design to tame complexity, create connection and joy. I help understand what people need and design products that help them succeed and experience delight. I create impact working with organizations and communities to remove barriers that prevent people from thriving by designing products that connect, engage, and tame complexity through research, UX and service design, and product innovation to build, test, measure, and evaluate products. My focus is on identifying gaps and unmet needs, hidden opportunities, and how to evolve the hypothesis-driven design of products for the future.

I’ve helped the Veterans Administration get excited about user research, simplified ordering for Tesla, and helped the City of New York manage their Open Data.  I have led design and managed multidisciplinary teams for Fortune 500 companies, government, NGOs, and startups.  I’ve lead new and existing product development in multi-stakeholders engagements with multiple workstreams and have taught and presented on user research, stigma and mental health, and the role of speculative design in research. Whether it be addressing stigma about mental illness, facilitating the co-creation of an Open Data exchange, or anything else I’ve done, I’m not afraid of wicked problems and adore tough challenges. I hold an MFA in Transdisciplinary Design from Parsons School of Design, and from the University of Toronto I hold an Honors BA in the Ethics, Society, and Law program with minors in philosophy, and humanities and psychoanalytic thought. I’m excited about interactive media and immersive experiences, femtech, Internet of Things and wearables, and inclusive design.I’ve explored stigma and mental illness, disaster preparedness and trauma, and more. If it helps people experience joy, feel connection, foster resilience, and harness human potential, I want to know about it, help build it, experience it, and share it.

My portfolio is available upon request and I’m currently open to opportunities. Drop me a line at info@rachelmmurray.com and let’s talk about how design can help create that future full of joy.