Emily Oberman

Emily Oberman
Name	Emily Oberman
Birth date	1962
Birth place	New York City, New York, United States
Occupation	Graphic designer, partner
Years active	1980s–present
Known for	Branding, identity, motion graphics

Emily Oberman

Emily Oberman is an American graphic designer and partner known for branding, identity, and motion graphics. She is co-founder of the New York design firm Number Seventeen and a partner at the design consultancy Pentagram. Oberman has led projects for film, television, publishing, fashion, and cultural institutions, working with a wide range of clients across the creative industries.

Early life and education

Born in New York City, Oberman attended secondary school in the metropolitan area before studying at the Cooper Union and later at the School of Visual Arts. During her formative years she engaged with the downtown New York art scene alongside peers associated with SoHo galleries, MoMA PS1, and experimental publications connected to figures from Andy Warhol’s Factory and the indie magazine networks of the 1980s. Her education intersected with institutions like the Whitney Museum of American Art and visiting critics from Yale School of Art and Rhode Island School of Design.

Career

Oberman co-founded Number Seventeen in 1993 with colleagues Michael Cronan and Bonnie Siegler, developing identities and campaigns for clients in the media and fashion sectors, including collaborations with The New York Times, The New Yorker, Walt Disney Studios, and Nike. In 2003 she joined Pentagram as a partner, working in the New York office alongside other partners from firms connected to IDEO, Sagmeister & Walsh, and Pentagram (London). Her career spans work for television networks such as HBO, NBC, and ABC, film studios including Miramax and Paramount Pictures, and cultural organizations like the Brooklyn Museum and the Carnegie Hall.

Oberman has collaborated with designers and directors such as Paula Scher, Michael Bierut, David Byrne, and Spike Jonze, contributing to motion graphics, title sequences, and campaign identities. Her consultancy work has included partnerships with publishing houses like Penguin Books and Random House, and commercial clients including Target Corporation and Tiffany & Co..

Major works and design projects

Notable projects include title design and on-air identity work for Saturday Night Live, branding for SNL specials and campaigns involving performers from Lorne Michaels’ productions, and campaign materials for film releases such as projects tied to Wes Anderson and Paul Thomas Anderson. Oberman led graphics for television series and specials associated with Sesame Street, John Oliver, and late-night programs anchored by figures like Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. In publishing she redesigned imprints and covers for editions connected to HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, and the visual presentation of retrospective monographs for artists represented by galleries in Chelsea, Manhattan.

Her identity work for fashion and retail includes collaborations with brands represented at New York Fashion Week, boutiques on Madison Avenue, and lifestyle clients associated with Conde Nast, Vogue, and The New Yorker’s branded events. Cultural projects include signage and visual systems for institutions such as The Public Theater, exhibition graphics for Guggenheim Museum, and promotional campaigns for festivals like Tribeca Film Festival and Sundance Film Festival.

Awards and recognition

Oberman’s work has been recognized by professional organizations such as the AIGA, the Type Directors Club, and The One Club for Creativity. She has received honors in annuals from Communication Arts and PRINT, and awards connected to D&AD and the Clio Awards for motion and identity design. Her projects have been featured in exhibitions at venues like the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, the Museum of Modern Art and international design festivals in London, Paris, and Tokyo.

Style and influence

Oberman’s design style blends typographic rigor with vernacular and vernissage-driven visual language, often referencing Pop Art traditions and theatrical poster design linked to Alfred Hitchcock and Saul Bass. Her motion work integrates principles from experimental film and television graphics established by pioneers at CBS and NBC, while her branding strategies align with approaches championed by designers from Pentagram (London), Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv, and Massimo Vignelli’s modernist lineage. Critics and peers in publications such as Eye (magazine), Design Week, and Wallpaper* cite her influence on contemporary identity systems, motion graphics, and the integration of illustration and typography in multidisciplinary projects.

Personal life and affiliations

Oberman is active in the New York design community, teaching and lecturing at institutions including Cooper Union, Pratt Institute, and guest crits at Parsons School of Design and Yale School of Art. She has served on juries for competitions hosted by AIGA and Art Directors Club and participates in panels at festivals like SXSW and HOW Design Live. Her affiliations include membership in professional bodies such as AIGA and collaboration with non-profits and cultural organizations including The Public Theater and New York Foundation for the Arts.

Category:American graphic designers Category:People from New York City