Rethink Design managing director Larissa Marquez and Rethink global chief strategy officer Sean McDonald
Rethink announced the formal launch of a global design practice that will span its North American offices on Tuesday.
Working out of the independent agency’s offices in New York, Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal, Rethink Design’s stated goal is to deliver end-to-end design solutions, from brand strategy and visual identities to packaging and design systems, according to a news release.
The shop says the creation of Rethink Design is part of the agency’s broader ambition to redefine itself as network of practices that provides expertise in specific marketing disciplines. Rethink officially launched its full-service public relations offering in November 2024.
Larissa Marquez has been named managing director of Rethink Design. She joined the agency in May after more than 8 1/2 years at Brooklyn design studio Gretel, where she worked in executive director of operations and director of operations roles.
Marquez also has made career stops at studios such as Pentagram and 2×4 during her two decades in design. She will report to Rethink’s global chief strategy officer Sean McDonald out of Rethink’s New York office.
“Rethink has a long history of pushing creative boundaries,” Marquez said in a statement. “With Rethink Design, we’re scaling that ambition – building a practice that helps brands tell bold stories, disrupt categories and design for impact. I’m incredibly excited for what’s to come.”
The agency also announced Tuesday that Rich Greco (executive creative director of design), Hans Thiessen (partner and executive creative director of design) and Alex Bakker (partner and group creative director of design) will be joining Marquez in the leadership group.
The Rethink Design team currently includes nearly 20 designers across its North American offices.
“Today, brands need more than ads – they need identity,” McDonald said in a statement. “Rethink Design is built to meet that need, shaping how brands look, feel, and connect with the world. We are always striving to rethink category conventions, and design is no different. Bringing together strategy, creativity and design allows us to deliver on impact and outperform investment.”
Founded in Vancouver in 1999, Rethink grown from a local creative shop into an award-winning firm that now works with clients such as Kraft Heinz, Molson Coors and IKEA.
Rethink won 12 medals (three Gold, four Silver, five Bronze) and a Gold Young Lion at Cannes in June a year after being named Independent Network of the Year and Independent Agency of the Year at the Festival of Creativity in 2024.
