ABOUT ME

Mary James, Senior Art Director  |  Brand & Environmental Design

I have several decades of experience directing creative that connects with real people and serves real goals. I spent twelve years at CarMax, growing from Art Director to Senior Art Director, working as a brand steward across stores, associate spaces, and local events. My job was to make sure the brand showed up consistently and compellingly everywhere people encountered it, creating the kind of moments where customers and staff actually wanted to connect with it.

What drives me is the belief that design is most powerful when it is in service of something. That might mean a national retail brand that thousands of people interact with every day, or a nonprofit that needs its creative to work as hard as the people behind it. Either way, I bring the same approach: listen first, lead with purpose, and make work that holds up in the real world.

Creativity and compassion go hand in hand for me. Some of my most meaningful work has been pro bono, lending my skills to animal rescue organizations across Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania because good design should not be out of reach for organizations doing the most good.

I'm based in Richmond, Virginia and looking for my next chapter. I'd love to talk.