Designing a Life (More Than a Portfolio)

Over the past half century, the practice of design has been transformed by new technologies, new tools, and new platforms. Yet many of the most important principles that guide meaningful design work—collaboration, empathy, and leadership—remain constant. In this Weiss Lecture, designers and longtime creative partners Michael Donovan and Nancye Green reflect on more than 55 years in design and what they have learned about building a career—and a life—through the practice of design.

Drawing on decades of experience advising organizations across industries, Donovan and Green will explore how designers shape not only artifacts but the experiences and relationships that surround them. From their perspective, design is fundamentally collaborative: the people you work for and the people you work with shape the outcomes you create and the opportunities you discover. Successful designers, they argue, learn to synthesize ideas across disciplines, build trust through every project and partnership, and embrace empathy and responsibility in the decisions they make.  

The lecture also considers the evolving role of designers in a moment of rapid technological change. As artificial intelligence and other emerging tools reshape creative practice, Donovan and Green suggest that designers have more opportunities—not fewer—to lead. With new capabilities at their fingertips, designers can better understand complex systems, collaborate across fields, and address urgent human challenges. The real measure of success, they argue, lies not only in a portfolio of work but in the ability to contribute generously, communicate clearly, and tackle the problems that matter most.  

Michael Donovan and Nancye Green are founding partners of Donovan/Green, a New York–based brand strategy and design consultancy established in the mid-1970s. Over their careers, they have advised leaders across media, technology, healthcare, finance, and consumer industries, helping organizations navigate transformation through design, communication, and strategy. Both have also been deeply engaged in design education and leadership within the profession. In recognition of their influential contributions to design and visual communication, they were awarded the AIGA Medal, the profession’s highest honor.  Together, Donovan and Green bring a distinctive perspective shaped by decades of partnership—as collaborators, entrepreneurs, and advocates for the broader role of design in shaping business, culture, and society.