Matt Dean

Adjunct professor of design practice, product design

Location:

Central Kohrman, Mail Stop 5266

Mailing address:

Richmond Institute for Design + Innovation
Western Michigan University
1903 W Michigan Ave
Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5266

Education:

B.A. Product Design, Purdue University

Bio:

With more than 15 years of experience in Industrial Design and creative leadership, Matt Dean specializes in bringing people together to solve complex problems through collaboration, innovation, and design thinking. His career spans consultancy, corporate, startup, and entrepreneurial environments, giving him a unique ability to bridge creative vision with practical execution.

Matt is the founder of “Matt Dean Creates,” where he develops and facilitates high-energy innovation workshops that help teams transform early-stage ideas into actionable outcomes. His workshops guide organizations through ideation, alignment, rapid feedback, and concept refinement—creating environments that are both highly productive and deeply engaging.

Known for his collaborative leadership style and strong interpersonal communication, Matt has worked with Fortune 500 brands, startups, and multidisciplinary teams to develop products, creative strategies, and emerging AI-driven innovation processes. He is passionate about helping students and professionals think more creatively, work more effectively together, and turn ambitious ideas into meaningful results.