Rachel Hellgren

Educational Credentials

• M.S., Design and Innovation, Case Western Reserve University
• MFA, Visual Communication Design, Kent State University
• B.A., History of Art, The Ohio State University

Biography

Rachel has been teaching in higher education since 2013, having joined Miami University in 2019. In this time, she has taught a range of subjects, including visual design foundations, typography, environmental design and wayfinding, visual rhetoric, strategic design for business, design management in organizational change, and creativity in design. Before coming to Miami, she taught at Kent State University, Cleveland State University, and the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University.

Rachel brings a wide range of professional experience in visual design and entrepreneurship, having worked in design startups and led international wholesale operations and customer relationship management for Good F*cking Design Advice, whose clients include Apple, Nike, and Adobe.

In addition to teaching at Miami University, Rachel runs a visual design and consulting business; a notable client is Design Issues, a peer-reviewed academic journal focused on design history, theory, and criticism.

Teaching Areas

• Design Thinking / Human-Centered Design
• Visual Design Foundations
• Interaction Design
• Design Research
• Systems Thinking
• Branding + Visual Identity
• Senior Capstone projects