School of Art Launches New Design Residency, Names Former White House Creative Director As Inaugural Scholar

The Graphic Design program in the School of Art, housed in the U of A's Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, has launched a new Design Scholar in Residence Program to bring nationally recognized design leaders to campus for engagement with students and faculty. 

Ashleigh Axios, former creative director and digital strategist in the Obama White House, will serve as the program's inaugural resident this fall. A business owner and design executive, Axios' work has been featured in CNN and The New York Times. She serves on the Board of Trustees for the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and previous leadership roles with AIGA, the national professional association for graphic design. 

Axios will visit campus a few times throughout the semester to participate in the Design, Public Policy and Civic Engagement course created and taught by Associate Director of the School of Art and Associate Professor of Graphic Design Marty Maxwell Lane. The course was promoted to students of any level or major across campus and has graduate and undergraduate students from graphic design, political science and public relations, public administration and nonprofit studies. 

During her residency, Axios will lead critiques and discussions with School of Art students at both graduate and undergraduate levels, meet informally with faculty to share industry insights and exchange ideas about the role of design in civic life. Axios will also host virtual office hours for students and invite students to participate in online professional development programming through Public Servants LLC's professional development program, where students can join online sessions with other design scholars. 

"Ashleigh brings a combination of creative excellence and public-sector experience that will challenge our students to think bigger about what design can do in the world," said Maxwell Lane. "This residency reflects the kind of access and excellence we're building throughout the School of Art. We want to connect our classrooms with the opportunities and responsibilities of design practice across society." 

As creative director and digital strategist in the Obama White House, she led design and digital initiatives that helped communicate the administration's priorities and make government more accessible to the public. In 2025, Axios founded Public Servants LLC, a U.S.-based public innovation consultancy supporting civic leaders in designing, improving and sustaining public systems. The firm partners with governments and mission-driven organizations to strengthen public services and relationships. She also co-founded DotGov Design, a nonprofit initiative that connects and empowers government designers, and launched the DotGov Design Conference to foster knowledge-sharing among public-sector creatives.  

​"I'm looking forward to connecting with the School of Art's faculty and students and exploring how designers are shaping the world around us," Axios said. "The school's commitment to design as a tool for modernizing public services, informing policymakers and bringing communities together closely aligns with my own work." Axios noted during her first visit that the residency offers an innovative alternative to the traditional guest lecture, creating sustained opportunities to get to know the School of Art community and tailor her sharing and mentorship to students.

Professional development is a central focus of the School of Art, and the residency expands students' exposure to the many career paths available to designers. "We want our students to see how a degree in design is interdisciplinary, with many career paths that expand beyond working at a design agency," said Tom Hapgood, program director of graphic design and associate professor. "Having a scholar-in-residence like Ashleigh embedded in our curriculum will help students better imagine the roles designers can play beyond the studio - how design can influence public systems and create meaningful change in communities." 

The Design Scholar in Residence program is a new initiative of the Graphic Design Program structured to bring practicing design leaders into direct, sustained contact with students throughout the semester. Through studio visits, critiques, discussions and faculty engagement, the program provides students with opportunities to learn directly from leaders working across the field and to explore the broader social, civic and professional possibilities of design. 

Axios's residency marks the inaugural year of the Design Scholar in Residence program and is part of the School of Art's broader efforts to help students build their professional portfolios and enhance their networks. For more information, visit the School of Art's site.