About Mike

Who Am I?

Mike DonovanI am an accomplished NYC-based senior UI & UX designer, illustrator, and front-end developer with 15+ years of experience. I am also a dedicated husband and father, a continuous learner, and a tireless entrepreneur.

Design and creativity are central to my identity and I’m fascinated by their application and impact on everyday life. While I have an insatiable appetite for creative problem-solving through imaginative design and illustration, I also value the importance that a well-researched user experience and an expert knowledge of the tools, technologies, and methodologies of the industry play in every project.

My work reflects an emphasis on clean, engaging, and intuitive user interfaces and illustrations with a pixel-perfect attention to detail and a foundation in simplicity. Additionally, I can skillfully produce clear, scalable, responsive, and accessible front-end frameworks across a variety of platforms and devices that incorporate of all the latest web standards, interactions, and accessibility requirements.

My clients have spanned a wide spectrum from startups and small business owners to major educational, community, and commercial enterprises — each replete with unique personalities, markets, platforms, modalities, and design challenges. As with all professionals navigating this relationship between the craft of design and business of design, I did not solidify my reputation in the design community overnight. My skill set, proficiency, and business acumen has evolved at each level of achievement (and failure) throughout the turns of my career.

This evolution is universal — some might even say required — and my hope is that through my work and my words that I may mentor other designers on the many intricate facets of this business as they embark upon their own respective journeys.

Tools & Craft

  • UI & IX Design
  • Brand & UX Design
  • Web & Responsive Design
  • Mobile Design
  • Icon Design
  • Logo Design
  • Responsive Design
  • Graphic Design
  • Typography
  • Rapid Prototypes
  • Wireframes
  • Design Direction
  • Front-End Development
  • Product Development
  • HTML
  • CSS
  • SASS/LESS
  • Photoshop
  • Illustrator
  • Sketch
  • InVision
  • Balsamiq
  • WordPress
  • Git
  • JQuery/JS
  • Agile
  • Lean UX
  • Atomic
  • Information Architecture
  • Style Guides
  • Usability
  • Browser/OS Compatibility
  • Accessibility
  • W3C Standards
  • Sec 508 ADA Compliance
  • Content Strategy
  • Creative Strategy
  • Design Mentor
  • SEO
  • Social Media
  • Illustration
  • Fine Arts
  • Art Direction
  • Art History
  • Art Theory

Experience

Senior UX Designer | Broadway Technology (New York, NY)

6/2016 – Present

Freelance | Mike Donovan Design (New York, NY)

Ongoing

Senior UI & IX Designer and Developer | Mimeo.com (New York, NY)

1/2008 – 5/2015

Web Director | The JCC in Manhattan (New York, NY)

3/2004 – 1/2008

Web & Graphic Designer | The University of Rochester (Rochester, NY)

7/2001 – 3/2004

Education

BFA in Illustration & Design | Rochester Institute of Technology (Rochester, NY)

9/1997 – 5/2001 — Graduated summa cum laude.

Conferences

Smashing Conference NYC by Smashing Magazine

Adobe MAX by Adobe Systems (San Francisco, CA)

UX Week by Adaptive Path (San Francisco, CA)

Presenting Data and Information with Edward Tufte (New York, NY)

CHI Conference by ACM SIGCHI (Ft. Lauderdale, FL)

Notable Clients & Employers

Adaptions: The Life Skills Network (New York, NY)

Platform for young adults with learning disabilities.

aParently (New York, NY)

Startup platform for parents to organize information, resources and people.

Applied Academics (New York, NY)

Investment performance prediction software.

Athenahealth (Watertown, MA)

Cloud-based EHR, practice management and population health services.

Blended Method (New York, NY)

Startup design & development consultants.

Broadway Technology (New York, NY)

Leader in high-performance financial solutions for top-tier global, regional, and national banks and brokers, and the buy-side.

CyberStaff America & CS Learning Solutions (New York, NY)

Education and training programs for professional and workforce development.

Dr. Michelle Yagoda, M.D., P.C. (New York, NY)

Facial plastic surgeon and ENT, otolaryngologist, and hair, skin, and nail expert.

Enlighten Technology (Kailua, HI)

Startup IT and technology infrastructure consultants.

Eyeist (Los Angeles, CA & New York, NY)

Startup platform to provide online photography portfolio reviews & networking.

GeneticaLens (Brooklyn, NY)

Documentary video production, information services and software development company.

Jonathan Davis, P.C. (New York, NY)

Litigation practice specializing in entertainment, intellectual property and complex commercial disputes.

Merchant Exchange (New York, NY)

Startup consumer & merchant rewards-based network.

Mimeo, Inc. (New York, NY)

Online printing and digital distribution company.

OTTO Brooklyn (Brooklyn, NY)

Boutique retailer.

OVID Therapeutics, Inc. (New York, NY)

Identifies and develops medicines for rare and orphan diseases of the brain.

Springboard (San Francisco, CA)

Online mentor-led continuing education.

The Center Studio (New York, NY)

Manhattan pilates studio.

The JCC Manhattan (New York, NY)

Cultural, health & wellness, and community center.

The Jewish Journey Project (New York, NY & Franklin Lakes, NJ)

Educational platform offering an alternative to traditional jewish learning.

The University of Rochester (Rochester, NY)

Private, research university in Upstate NY.

Web2Print Experts (San Francisco, CA)

Print software and MIS consultants.

Media & Accolades

Best in Show Award Recipient (multiple years)

Web2award for my UI/IX work at Mimeo.

Active Contributor

Dribbble — Professional design community.

Featured Contributor

Many well-known design & development resource sites such as Codrops, CSSAuthor, Speckyboy, Freeeble, UI & UX Design, 365psd.com, and more.

Design Profile

Cult of Mac for my retro gadget designs: Retrotastic Pippin portable takes its place in mythical Apple pantheon

Design Profile

TUAW for my collection of throwback Apple gadget designs: Forget the iPhone 6, I want an iPhone G3

Design Highlight

Lost in Mobile for my throwback Apple gadget designs: iPhone G3

Design Gallery

Apply Novinky for my throwback Apple gadget designs: Back to the Past – iPhone G3 and iPad Concepts

Design Highlight

The Apple Lounge for my collection of throwback Apple gadget designs: Enough with the iPhone 6, we want the iPhone G4.

Design Commentary

LetemSvetem Applem for my collection of throwback Apple gadget designs: The concept of the iPhone G3 returns to the times of the first iMac.

Design Highlight

Gopego for my collection of throwback Apple gadget designs: iPhone G3: A Different iPhone 6 Concept.

Design Highlight

Taisy0 for my collection of throwback Apple gadget designs: If the iPhone adopted the design of the “iMac G3” and “iMac G4” ….

Top Spot

List of “50 Great UI Kits for Web Designers” on easyJQuery.com.