Lead Product Designer
Designing for the person on the other side of the screen.
I'm a designer, brand strategist, and coach with over 18 years of experience building human-first digital experiences and brands. I believe the best design builds trust before it asks anything in return, and humans should be at the forefront of any work we do.
Selected work
Outcomes, not just interfaces.
I've created two case studies that show how I think... the problems I chose to reframe, the (many) decisions I made under constraint, and what happened when the work shipped. Given how specific this job description is, it's important to me to show you the most relevant work, not just anything & everything I've done.
49%
more visitors · 2× time on page
Reimagining Discover: from overlooked to essential
I pushed for a complete reimagining of Book Creator's content marketplace — not just a search filter — and shipped results that surprised even me. Organic. Over Christmas. No promotion.
Read the case study →0→1
AI product · pre-launch · world premiere
Designing for the unknown: a pre-launch AI product
Sole lead designer on a pre-launch AI product in the EdTech space — from early research through to a world premiere where an organisation asked to buy it before it was ready to sell.
Read the case study →About
Design is a practice, not a deliverable.
I've spent over 18 years designing across brand, web, product, and systems, since I was a wee 17 year old starting out going to industry events and getting tiny freelance clients... and one thing that's underpinned it all with the same question: does this actually serve the person using it?
My background in brand strategy and coaching isn't separate from my product design work - it's what makes me a stronger designer. I understand how to shape a narrative, how to build trust through communication, and how to help people see what's possible -whether that's a user navigating a marketplace, or a junior designer finding their way through a difficult design challenge.
I'm a creator and community builder myself. I've built my own business for almost 14 years, my own audience, and created my own frameworks for sustainable growth. I know what it feels like to be the person on the other side of a discovery experience - which is part of why I care so deeply about getting it right.
I work best in environments that trust people to do their work — async, outcome-focused, and genuinely collaborative. I like hard problems - I love the challenge! I like documentation and blummin' love to write. And I find great satisfaction in the gap between what we create as a concept and what gets shipped.
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Design as stewardship
I design with long-term thinking always. I prefer building things that earn trust over time, not just convert in the moment but sacrifice what matters.
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Curiosity before conclusion
I ask the uncomfortable and curious questions early, before we've gone too far down the wrong path. Assuming isn't part of the job - curiosity is.
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Craft that serves people
Quality isn't about aesthetics alone. It's about whether the work makes things clearer, simpler, or simply more human.
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Mentorship as multiplier
As a trained coach, I want to see those around me grow & support them in getting there - through honest feedback, clear thinking, and genuine investment in growth.
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Move forward, always
If there's anything I've learned in all my time as a human & as a designer, it's that moving forward and taking action is the best way to be.
Experience
18+ years of design, across many rooms.
Apr 2025 – Present
Lead Product Designer (Discover & AI)
Book Creator · Tools for Schools Limited
Led the complete redesign of Discover - a two-sided content marketplace for teachers and template creators - achieving a 49% increase in visits and 5 – 10% better app retention. Sole designer on a pre-launch AI product in the EdTech space, from early research through a world premiere that stopped the room, working to launch in closed beta in June.
2012 – Present
Designer, Brand Strategist & Coach
The Steady Work (formerly Rachilli)
Founded and led my own design practice across 14 years - working with clients from solo creators to well-known UK brands. Created the Seasonal Business Philosophy® and SEED Framework: original intellectual property teaching sustainable, human-first business design. Certified coach.
Nov 2023 – 2025
UI & UX Designer
Marketing Magic
Conducted user research and testing, refined UI and app functionality, reduced support query volume through better design, and built internal tracking systems for customer support management.
2013 – 2014
UI Designer
Intelliact
Designed interfaces for enterprise-level software products. Led a hands-on stakeholder workshop in Zürich. Built a multilingual, responsive design system inspired website across English, German, and French.
2012 – Present
Speaker & Published Author
UK Design Industry
Spoken on stage 14 times (40–1,400 audience) on design and creativity. 3 logos published in Taschen's Logo Design Volume 3. Published author with Five Simple Steps.
2010 – 2012
Junior Front-End Developer
Design agencies & financial sector
I got my start in the industry by working at a financial institution (not the best fit values-wise at the time!) and a couple of design agencies as a junior front-end developer and designer. I did a lot of graphic design, basic coding, and learned all about WordPress — which was fairly new at the time!
2007 – 2010
Work with small freelance print clients
Self-employed
I started going to industry events at age 17 and worked with my first freelance clients designing all manner of print items, including packaging and merchandise.
Beyond the work
What I love.
Because the whole person shows up to work — and I'd rather you knew who that person is.
Dog mama
I have two dogs who are very much in charge of how many treats they get! Spending time with them is often when I do my best thinking - seeing the world through their eyes helps me think differently and often sparks new ideas.
Grower of things
I'm truly obsessed with my garden, house plants, and trees in general. There's something about tending to living things slowly that keeps the rest of life in perspective. I find I get my best ideas inspired by what I see in nature.
Fungi fanatic
Also completely & unapologetically obsessed with mushrooms and fungi! The science, the foraging, the weird and wonderful world beneath the surface. (I can't actually eat them, & chronic illness rules out the supplements too. I love them anyway!)
Gamer
I love gaming & also the craft of game design - the UI decisions, the onboarding, how the best ones teach you without you noticing. My fave is currently Avatar, experiencing Pandora for myself is mind-blowing!
Learning as practice
I don't think curiosity is optional. I'm always mid-course, mid-book, or mid-rabbit hole on something I'm excited about - right now that rabbit hole is vibe coding & I'm taking certifications on human design & tarot!
Dreaming of Cornwall
One of my long-term aspirations is to move to Cornwall and establish a smallholding near the sea - ideally with a donkey sanctuary (maybe with a couple of ponies or horses, some goats, and a horde of chickens thrown in the mix).
Open to work
I've redesigned a Discover. Let's talk about yours.
Lead designer on a two-sided content marketplace. Sole designer on a pre-launch AI product. I prototype in Claude Code, Lovable, and have experimented with Cursor. I work async-first, surface decisions early, and care about outcomes over output. The Circle role is the closest match I've seen to the work in this portfolio - I'd love to hear about it.
rachel@rachilli.com · Manchester, UK · Open to remote roles