If design isn’t shaping decisions, it isn’t working.

I help organisations globally move design from a delivery function into a strategic force inside product and leadership.

Selected Work
Most organisations don’t have a design problem. They have a structure problem.

Design teams are busy shipping work, but influence rarely reaches product direction or leadership decisions.

Selected work focused on shifting design from execution to influence across product and organisation.

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KiwiRail: Building Design Maturity
Design Leadership · KiwiRail
Embedding design capability into organisational structure.
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One NZ: Trade-In
Product Design · One NZ
Reducing friction in high-value transactions.
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NZ Govt: Reusing What Works
Design System Strategy · MBIE - NZ Govt
Adapting a proven system to deliver speed, consistency, and scale across government.
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Flying Blue: From Grounded to Soaring
Product Strategy · Air France/KLM
Repositioning loyalty through product clarity and systemic simplification.
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The Just Group: From Chaos to Clarity
Design Systems · Retail
A modular design system that streamlined email marketing, improved consistency, and increased campaign performance across The Just Group.
I’ve worked with organisations including: Trade Me · Air France/KLM · One NZ · KiwiRail · Nestlé · Nationwide · Clarks · Penguin Publishing · Comvita · The Kraft Heinz Company · Craigs IP · Bayleys Real Estate · New Zealand Government · Mitre 10 · B&Q · Elliot Hire · Bostik · The Countryside Agency · Liberty Human Rights · Pepsi Co. · Panasonic · Sony Pictures · London Zoo · Disney Australia · New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects · Brisbane City Council · The Countryside Agency · Royal Mail · Aliance & Leicester Building Society · Nationwide Building Society · Stroud & Swindon Building Society · Air New Zealand · Trustpower · British Telecom · Audi · Alfa Romeo · Fiat · UPS · Nikon · Invisalign · Optegra · The Just Group · ITV · MTV · Firetrap · All Saints · Hardy Aimes · Joules · Duchamp · Tui · Saatchi & Saatchi · LBI · Digitas · AKQA · Diagio · Polydoor Records · Australian Institute of Chartered Accountants · Breville · Fisher and Paykel · GWA · Trinity Newspapers Group · Norwich & Peterborough Building Society · The Financial Times · Aardman · Bristol Credit Union · Dlink · Smiggle · Portmans · Jay Jays · Just Jeans · Dotti · Peter Alexander · Tauranga Airport · UJA-Federation of NY · The London Olympics · Doner · Wiltshire Air Ambulace · News Corp & many more...
How I Help
Turning design into strategic influence inside organisations.

Design Practice Maturity

When design is active but not shaping decisions.

Product Leadership

When product and design are working in parallel, not together.

Workshops

When teams are blocked by structure, not skill.

Experience Design

When complexity needs clarity and coherence.

About
Design, leadership, and narrative practice.

I’m Rich McCoy — a design leader, creative director, and practitioner working across product systems, organisational design, and narrative practice.

I’ve worked across industries for over 30 years, moving between design, leadership, and systems thinking.

I’m based in Aotearoa/New Zealand, originally from the UK, with time spent in Africa.

Start a conversation → rich@mccoyand.co