Designing Democracy’s Front Door: Debbie Millman x Ashleigh Axios

AIGA DC presents Debbie Millman and Ashleigh Axios for Designing Democracy’s Front Door, an insightful conversation exploring how design, branding, and symbolism impact democracy.

Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026 // 5-7 p.m. // Vital Voices

In October 2025, Debbie Millman published a New York Times guest essay drawing a connection between the construction of a new White House ballroom and the evolving symbolism of American democracy.

Together they’ll explore how branding, space, and storytelling influence how we experience civic life, and why the design community plays a critical role in safeguarding it.

Registration opens soon.

About Debbie Millman

Debbie Millman is a designer, author, educator, curator, and host of the pioneering podcast Design Matters. Named “one of the most creative people in business” by Fast Company, “one of the most influential designers working today” by Graphic Design USA, and a “woman of influence” by Success Magazine, she has built a remarkable career at the intersection of design, storytelling, and cultural commentary.

Millman is the founder and host of Design Matters, one of the first and longest-running podcasts
in the world. Over the past two decades, she has interviewed more than 700 of the world’s most
creative thinkers and makers. The show has earned a Cooper Hewitt National Design Award,
multiple Webby awards and Ambie nominations, and numerous accolades from Apple Podcasts,
which named it one of their “All-Time Favorites” three times.

A past president of AIGA (one of only five women to serve in the role in its 100-year history),
Millman received the organization’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019. She is a frequent
keynote speaker and has delivered talks at TED (one of the Top 10 most popular TED Talks of
2020), Aspen Ideas Festival, Inbound, Design Indaba, Web Summit, and universities and design
festivals around the world.

Read more about Debbie Millman.

About Ashleigh Axios

Ashleigh Axios is the founder and CEO of Public Servants LLC, a civic innovation consultancy co-creating systems that strengthen public institutions and community well-being. She previously served as Creative Director in the Obama White House, was an executive at Coforma, and led brand and marketing at Automattic. Axios is a trustee on the board of the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), her alma mater, and a Board President for AIGA and AIGA DC, where she also launched DotGov Design to empower government designers. Her work has been recognized by Essence, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and DCFemTech, among others. A sought-after speaker and advocate for civic design, Axios lives and works in the Washington, D.C. area.