Marisa Bazan

Program Manager, Team Operations

Illustration by Michael Cho

How would you describe what you do to someone you’re sitting next to on a plane?

The TLDR version is I ensure that the members of Adobe Design are set up to succeed. In more detail, I manage onboarding for people new to Adobe Design: That includes everything from introducing them to our teams, our processes, and to each other so they understand how our group operates and feel a sense of solidarity within it. I also co-lead our Adobe Design mentorship program, in partnership with my teammate Zach Klassen, and manage other internal programs that foster connections and community.

What’s a project you’re most proud of?

I'm most proud of leading a presentation series called Hacks, Hobbies, and Side Hustles in partnership with my teammate Prachi Ramchandra Chaudhari. It’s a quarterly speaking program where people from across Adobe Design share a personal passion project in a team-wide presentation; the only rules are that it can’t be longer than five minutes and it can't be related to their day-to-day work. It's a great way to practice public speaking, learn more about our teammates, and celebrate the hidden talents on the team.

How do you get into a flow while working? How do you maintain it?

I can't get anything done until my workspace is clean, and I have a cup of coffee. Once that's settled, I create a list of things I need to do that day and start chipping away at it. Then, if I feel burned-out, I take a break and walk to the grocery store to buy a snack. When I get home, I always feel refreshed and ready to get back into whatever I was working on. It's super important to take breaks and give yourself space to clear your head. I’ve had some of my best ideas at the grocery store!

Tell us about a project outside of work that you’re currently working on.

In my spare time I enjoy film photography and making collages. The collages are all analog made from vintage magazines and I’m playing around with some scanner techniques for the typography, which will involve me printing out the type and dragging it along my scanner bed, so it looks distorted and unpredictable. I recently self-published a zine, titled “Poached Legs," using this technique (the title’s a play on “poached eggs,” and was inspired by a collage I did of a woman’s legs sticking out of a pot of boiling water).

When was the last time you felt truly inspired by something? What was it?

I feel inspired every time I watch the movie Daisies. Written and directed by Věra Chytilová, it's a Czechoslovakian dramedy about two anarchist women who prank men as a form of rebellion against the patriarchy. It's hilarious, and the cinematography is chaotic in the best way possible. The entire film is essentially a huge collage (there's a scene where they use scissors to cut up the movie in its frame) and flips constantly between black-and-white and color. As a collage artist, I find it lovely.

What’s the best thing about working from home? What’s the worst?

The best thing about working from home is taking meetings in the huge alpaca slippers my grandma gave me. The worst thing about working from home is no longer having free and unlimited access to LaCroix and Gardettos (snack mix).

What’s your greatest extravagance and why?

Without a doubt, my greatest extravagance is film photography as a hobby. Anyone who has a taste for vintage cameras can attest to the cost... and that doesn’t even include purchasing the film, developing, and scanning. I should probably start limiting how many rolls per month I shoot, but that's no fun.