Meet Dean Reitz | Digital Illustrator & Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dean Reitz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dean, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I recently returned to higher education after five and a half years in corporate space planning to pursue a degree in Industrial Design. With my previous degree and experience in graphic design, I thought this would be a great opportunity to continue creating and reaching new people while building an audience as I progress in my education. For as long as I can remember, my dream has always been to run my own design studio. I want to be unrestricted in what I can create, the products or clients I can work with, and how and where I spend my time. I have found throughout my continuing education and professional career, that I am inspired by so many different things and the freedom of starting my own business allows me to pursue anything and everything I am interested in.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Throughout my education in Fine Arts, I became fascinated with displaying or viewing objects. I had always held a fascination for technical and architectural drawings and began applying that lens to different objects. I found that flattening and presenting an object in this way began to elevate the details and form. For my thesis, I wrote about the connections with memory and architecture based on the readings of Gaston Bachelard’s “The Poetics of Space”. I found the intersection between memory and space fascinating. My thesis show was an illustration, a 360 degree interior elevation of a building lost in time in my home town. This led me to developing my style which I have grown throughout the years. Currently, I enjoy capturing architecture and other subject matter in this style, combining color choices and minimalist line work to highlight the details and elevate the forms.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
-Meow Wolf-Convergence Station is a great place to explore and return to again and again to be inspired and amazed. -The Denver Art Museum is always showing new and exciting exhibits from new and old world art as well as cultural and historical pieces.
-Kirkland Museum of Fine and Decorative Arts is another great resource of inspiration, full of amazing objects following 150 years of art and design.
-Foraged is one of my favorite restaurants, a great place to enjoy some of the best sushi in the city or experience a custom created menu.
– 54Thirty is a bar on the rooftop of Le Méridien Hotel downtown and a great place to enjoy a cocktail in the evening overlooking the city.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to my family and my partner. They have all played an instrumental role in my success and have supported me throughout all the changes in education and career throughout my life. I come from a very creative family and growing up, we were always encouraged to try anything we wanted to do. Whether it was sports, dancing, theater, music, my parents always supported us and made sure to take part in our interests.
My partner has been another source of support and encouragement in my life. We recently relocated to the Denver metropolitan area together, experiencing life in the city both for the first time. Her support and encouragement to return to school to pursue my passion and start a new business has meant so much to me, something I couldn’t have done without her and my family.

Website: deanmorgandesign.squarespace.com

Instagram: @bydeanmorgan