Our WHY
If there’s one thing we know at Colorful Creative, it’s that we’re all in this together. We have to be. Much like the concept of Ubuntu (“I am because we are”), Mandy believes there’s no “me” without “we.” It’s why she turned her creative agency upside down after 10 successful years. Realizing that she could no longer separate her work from the passions she considered part of her life’s work, she decided to merge them into a single initiative: an extraordinary branding agency that also made concrete strides toward justice, unity, and compassion. The result is Colorful Creative.
When she revamped her company, Mandy also launched the Colorful Creative Collective to serve as its philanthropic arm. Colorful Creative donates a portion of its profits to the Colorful Creative Collective. The list of issues and movements Mandy cares deeply about is long, but the areas represented by the initial Colorful Creative Collective are among the most important to her: the environment, kids, women, diversity, the Black community, social justice, racial discrimination, the arts, education, the LGBTQ community, and sustainability. Oh, and bugs.
And the big bonus?
If you are a non-profit and you decide to work with Colorful Creative, you automatically become part of the Collective and we will give back to you!
The Colorful Creative Collective
Classroom Central equips students in need to effectively learn by collecting and distributing free school supplies to their teachers.
WFAE’s Mission is to develop journalism that informs and enriches while inspiring a more knowledgeable and engaged community grounded in shared humanity.
The mission of this Black-women-led organization is to empower a continuous network of girls and women to be leaders in their community through mentorship, talent development, and advocacy.
The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation is an international nonprofit organization that protects the natural world through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitats.
Time Out Youth is a Charlotte, NC based charity whose mission is to support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning youth by offering vital programs, fostering unconditional acceptance, and creating safe spaces for self-expression through leadership, community support and advocacy.
The Black Femme Fund is 501C3 non-profit created by Black femmes, dedicated to ensuring Black femmes and their children have immediate access to the necessary funds to improve their lives. They focus on direct giving and empowerment of Black femmes.
Freedom School Partners is a Charlotte based non-profit that promotes the long-term success of children by preventing summer learning loss through igniting a passion for reading and inspiring a love of learning.
I have worked with Mandy Barrett at Colorful Creative over the past 16 years, in my roles at advertising/marketing agencies, for-profit companies and charitable organizations – I have brought her with me to every job I have taken and for good reason. In my 35 years of working professionally, Mandy is one of the few creative people I have come across who understand business. Her strategic direction is as keen as her creative eye, and her follow-through stands against any marketing director I’ve ever encountered. She gets s(&%t done! I have recommended Mandy to numerous other people and have received the same positive feedback from each and every one of them. Whether it’s designing a logo, branding a new company, rebranding an existing company or creating compelling materials to make people take action, Mandy can make it happen
Mandy Barrett at Colorful Creative brings a unique suite of skills combining creativity, discipline, excellent interaction with the staff, and a commitment to quality and follow-through. Most recently Colorful Creative rebuilt and rebranded our web site and the work was on time, on budget, and resulted in a beautiful, inviting, and functional interface. We are grateful to Mandy and her team for their outstanding service and commitment to Davidson Lands Conservancy.
Working with Mandy has been a wonderful experience. Her keen eye for design allows her to transform a simple idea into something that is truly amazing. She is an unbelievable artist and continues to impress me with her creativity, dedication and passion for her work. In addition, she is a genuine person who is always willing to jump-in and help the team out. From project management, client and vendor relations, IT support, copywriting, you name it she has done it successfully. Simply put, Mandy is the complete package and I would recommend her in a heartbeat.
A true visionary when it comes to design, Mandy Barrett has a unique talent for identifying the needs of her clients—often before they even know themselves! Not only is her work impeccable, but the passion she has for her profession is obvious from the moment you meet her. Press time can be tremendously stressful, but Mandy handles everything in stride, always positive and upbeat. In fact, her personality makes her super fun and easy to work with. If I only had two words to describe Mandy, they would be Crazy Creative! She has a knack for seeing things other designers don’t and she knows how to bring layouts alive through her extensive knowledge of typography, color theory, and composition. You should see the beautiful redesign she did for our publication! I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Mandy for any design project. If you hire her, you won’t be disappointed!
Mandy is the most creative person I have ever worked with! She is an excellent leader and a fantastic team member because she sees each project in its entirety. Whether Mandy is taking the lead or contributing to the whole she is a graphic designer that can make any project successful. Her broad knowledge base encompasses sales, marketing, public relations, print, TV, on-line, social media, newsletters, blogs, ad/coupon creation, website design and more. If you have a need for a graphic designer that thinks out of the box and is not afraid to offer advice, then you’ve come to the right place.
Quite simply, Mandy is one of those very rare individuals who is both creative and analytical. Mandy has a great sense of style and can translate ideas into clean, simple and elegant design. She is highly skilled as a designer and possesses excellent communication skills. In addition, unlike most designers, Mandy is also quite adept at managing the production process for front end web design, email integration and virtually any print deliverable. She is a dedicated professional and a very pleasant, energetic person.
