About

hand drawn illustration of legs sticking out of a french press

Always curious and always laughing, MAD Creative’s principal Melissa Allen has 24 years of design and communications experience. She earned a master’s degree in publication design from the University of Baltimore and in addition to running MAD for 22 years, she has served in a senior creative position for a DC-based corporation. Through her career and her home life with three teenagers, she’s learned to be flexible and embrace change. If you happen to spot her driving in DC’s notorious traffic, she’ll probably be sipping coffee directly from her beloved French press.

Picture of MAD Creative principal and owner, Melissa Allen

People We’ve Worked With

American Association for Marriage and Family Therapists (AAMFT)

Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD)*

Global Business Travel Association (GBTA)

National Association of Athletic Trainers

National Association of Clean Water Agencies

National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD)

National Association of Enrolled Agents (NAEA)

National Association of Health Care Assistants (NAHCA)

Association

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Carroll Engineering*

Center for Assessment and Treatment

EMI Consultants

Floreo

Google

luhf Branded Environments

NetApp

NERA Economic Consulting

Nexight

OnWard & UpWard

Zuckerman Spaeder

Corporate &
For-profit

Community,
Government &
Non-profit

Center for International
Environmental Law

Center for Community Investment (CCI)

Cleveland Park Community Association

Conservation International - DGM

Gateway Arts Center

Genetic Alliance

International Conservation Caucus Foundation (ICCF)

National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC)

New Dream

Open Tech Fund*

Presbyterian Outlook

St. Paul’s School*

Avolta (HMSHost, Hudson)

The District Chef

Marriott International

luhf Branded Environments

Hospitality & Lifestyle

Ground Media

Marriner Marketing

Modern Signal

That’s Klutch

Yes&

Agency

*done in partnership

FAQs

graphic photo of woman balancing on one leg with a piece of ripped paper and a question mark hiding her face

  • MAD is a virtual studio model. Melissa is a sole proprietor and she partners with other creatives as needed. Partners range from designer and marketing collaborators to digital developers, photographers and copywriters. This allows MAD to keep costs competitive without sacrificing quality.

  • No we don’t. But we have volunteered and donated help to some local community organizations.

  • Not right now. We think our thinking is the unquantifiable value designers and creatives bring to the table. It goes beyond the reasonable continuation approach of current AI models that produce forgettable communication.