Audio interview with Nancye Green and Michael Donovan, 2014 Jun 30
File
Scope and Contents
In this audio recording, designers Nancye Green and Michael Donovan, both Parsons School of Design alumni, are interviewed together by Joel Towers, executive dean of Parsons, and Wendy Scheir, director of the New School Archives and Special Collections. Green and Donovan describe their experiences moving to New York City, and studying (and in the case of Donovan, teaching) at Parsons in the early 1970s. They discuss the evolution of their partnership, both personal and professional, as well as contemporary social issues as they relate to the future of design and design education.
Dates
- 2014 Jun 30
Extent
3 digital_recordings (01:18:07 duration; includes PDF transcript)
Participant Biographies
- Michael Donovan
- Michael Donovan is a business consultant who has helped a wide variety of institutions, non-profits, and corporations address communication and business problems through an interdisciplinary application of design principles. Born in Webster City, Iowa, Donovan received his undergraduate degree in applied arts from Iowa State University in 1967 and graduated in environmental design from Parsons School of Design in 1969. He subsequently worked as an associate for the multi-disciplinary design studio, Vignelli and Associates. In 1974, Donovan founded the design consulting firm Donovan and Green with his wife, Nancye Green. Donovan and Green’s clients include American Girl Place, Ronald Reagan Public Library, Citicorp Center, and The Medicine Company. He also founded co2responsible, which sells services to create a zero carbon footprint for vehicles, and Asphalt Media, which provides mobile outdoor advertising. Donovan serves as Vice-Chairman on the Board of Governors at Parsons School of Design, sits on the board of directors of the Municipal Arts Society, and is a National Endowment for the Arts Fellow.
- Nancye Green
- Nancye Green is a business consultant who has helped a wide variety of institutions, non-profits, and corporations address communication and business problems through an interdisciplinary application of design principles. Born in Monterey, California, Green received her undergraduate degree in urban studies from Tulane University before graduation in environmental design from Parsons School of Design in 1973. She has also received an Honorary Doctorate from The Corcoran School of Art. In 1974, Green founded the design consulting firm Donovan and Green with her husband, Michael Donovan. Donovan and Green’s clients include American Girl Place, Ronald Reagan Public Library, Citicorp Center, and The Medicine Company. Green has served on the boards of directors of companies including D’Arcy, EcoHealth Alliance, Hallmark, Ingram Partnership, and Waterworks. She has also served as the interim Chief Brand Officer for Zurich Financial Services as well as the CEO of Waterworks. She is a former president of American Institute of Graphic Arts and of the Aspen International Design Conference.