CREATIVE DIRECTOR
INTERMARK GROUP
BIRMINGHAM AL
Lauren Barnett began her creative career in fine art and showed her paintings in galleries across Atlanta. After realizing she got more of a kick from promoting gallery shows than displaying her work, she dusted off her backpack and got her masters in Advertising at Savannah College of Art and Design. Shortly after, she landed her first gig at one of Atlanta’s best agencies, Fitzgerald+Co. She then came to Intermark Group as a Senior Art Director. Intermark’s game-changing work shapes brands by using persuasive psychology to determine how people really think, feel and act. This approach gives Intermark’s work an advantage over traditional agency “insights,” which are often mere observations. After a few years, Lauren’s commitment and passion for great work earned her a promotion to Creative Director.
Lauren strives to forge great relationships with her clients — the more a client trusts you, the more out-of-the-box ideas they’ll let you produce. Still, she believes the best ideas are the simplest ones, those that make you think “why hasn’t anyone else thought of that before?” She uses her knowledge, experience, and 20/20 vision to formulate great ideas and make them look, feel and sound the best they possibly can. Lauren’s work has garnered multiple national creative awards across a variety of categories, from retail to tourism, but her true passion is to make work that has a positive impact on the world and changes people’s perspectives for the better.
Looking forward, are you optimistic about the role of graphic design in business and society?
With so many creative tools and psychological insights at our fingertips with our phones, the world cares about aesthetics and graphic design more than ever. The bar is set high to create unique and eye-catching designs that stand out and inspire consumers to “stop the scroll” and find interest in businesses and causes. Graphic design and creative generally are how brands affect people — where applied psychology creates changes in behavior.
Have the challenges of the past two years changed the way you approach your work?
Oddly, I feel more connected to the world around me. The pandemic, BLM, the economy — all helped bring everything into focus. As creatives, we need to use our skills to help others around us. It’s inspired me to focus on concepts that better our environment and our people.
