A boutique, woman-owned graphic design studio.

Marissa Bauman, the creative behind Emerson James Design.

My interest in art started at the age I could hold a pencil. In elementary school when asked to come dressed as “what you want to be when you grow up”, I donned a beret and smock, wielding my paint brushes. I always knew I wanted to be an artist. At the age of 14, I was fortunate to be selected to attend Communications High School and entered their graphic design program. Once I met graphic design, I never looked back. In 2008, I graduated from the University of Delaware with a BFA in Visual Communications, specializing in graphic design. 

For me, graphic design is the perfect mix of business and art. Obviously it requires creativity, but I feel my success lies in mixing this creativity with a strategic, solution-driven approach; an empathetic, yet type-A personality and a sheer enjoyment for developing strong relationships (I am truly an INJF). I am an efficient, approachable communicator who loves solving organizational problems.

My “team” consists of an extensive network of highly skilled professionals I have had the pleasure of working with over the past 15 years. During that time, my collaborations and experiences have helped me develop an seamless design partnership process.

I am very fortunate to live, work, and wrangle two young daughters, Brinn Emerson and Lyla James, with my husband in central New Jersey. I love to spend time outdoors—hiking, being on the water, snowboarding, gardening and “relaxing” at the beach. If not outside, you may find me at the cookbook section of the library or in the kitchen making dinner while drinking a craft cocktail. Many of our weekends are spend in the thick of home renovations. To me, there is no better place than the sanctuary of home—make it your own.

Reach out and say hello! marissa@emersonj.com or (302) 514-3018.

(Formerly Letter & Line Design)

Here at IFPA, we've valued our ongoing collaboration with Marissa. Our biggest, and most recent, was the inaugural State of the Industry keynote deck for our global show. She blended creativity and care to ensure alignment with our brand and delivered an incredible product that gave our guests both value and a memorable educational experience. It was brilliant, current and fresh.

CATHY BURNS, CEO, international fresh produce association

We struck gold when we engaged Marissa from Emerson James Design for a range of digital and print design services following our rebranding. She embraced our new brand guidelines and helped us firmly establish our new look across a variety of platforms. Beyond producing solid design work, Marissa just really gets us. She regularly makes recommendations for different design solutions or copy edits, and she is always willing to go the extra mile to get a project just right.

JUDITH GRAHAM KANE, DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND DEVELOPMENT, READING ASSIST

Emerson James Design helped us transition our small consulting firm brand from a start-up logo and website to a look and feel that matches who we are today. Marissa’s well-developed process made her wonderful to work with, and her branding expertise coupled with her graphic design skills resulted in a rebrand that feels and looks just right!

ELLISHA CAPLAN & LYNN CALDER, CO-PRINCIPALS AND CONSULTANTS, shoestring solutions

Marissa regularly delivers great work in an incredibly timely fashion, I can't recommend working with her enough. She is not just incredibly talented, but also versatile and an incredible person.

KEVIN MALONE, CREATIVE AND DIGITAL EXPERIENCE LEADER, INTERNATIONAL FRESH PRODUCE ASSOCIATION

I was asked to bring new life to a tired annual publication. After an RFP process, I was lucky to hire Marissa Bauman of Emerson James Design, LLC. Marissa was fantastic to work with. She is not only phenomenally talented, patient and a master of the fast turnaround, but she also actively listens to your disjointed thoughts and transforms them into an innovative design that effectively tells your story better than your words ever could. We’ve just completed our third project together and I continue to get rave reviews for the products we’ve produced together. I can’t thank her enough.

MAUREEN FEENEY ROSER, CMSM, SPECIAL PROJECTS, DOWNTOWN VISIONS

While working at SWM International, I worked with Marissa for over 3 years. I was introduced to her from a former employee. She understands consistent branding and does great design work. She has always met our timelines and will even deliver digital assets to publications or trade show sites. I really appreciated when she would send multiple draft ideas to help us decide on the best formats. I am highly recommending Marissa and would share any additional details as a reference when called upon. I hope to work with her again very soon.

JANICE KOVALA, MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS PROFESSIONAL