Meet DEZ B. | Graphic Designer & Art Director

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

Hi DEZ, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I was originally born in Jackson, TN but raised in St. Louis, Mo. Although I am currently based out of Nashville, TN, St. Louis has and will forever be influential on my upbringing. The culture, the art, the music, and the history of St. Louis enabled me to expand my perspectives on creative design and thinking and allowed me to push past my comfort zones to become more expressive in my art.

I am the youngest of three and my mother always wanted for us to strive for our best. As a school teacher, my mother pushed us in education and the arts to find our voices, learn about that what makes the world work and how we can impact it. Without these factors, I wouldn’t be were I am today in a mental & creative space.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My art is expressive of how I feel or what I think in the moment. I don’t think there is a time where my creative mind shuts off so I am consistently thinking of concepts for projects and sketching them out when I have the time.

My love for graphic design began when I got a cracked version of photoshop and would spend hours at a time on it playing around in high school. Mind you (and I hate I aged myself like this lol), this is when some of the original social media platforms like MySpace, Bebo, and BlackPlanet were around so I would spend a lot of nights making skins & backgrounds for myself & friends. That time eventually lead to my passion & desire to create full time.

I obtained my Bachelors degree in Computer Multimedia & Graphic Design from Southeast Missouri State in 2013 and Masters in Advertising & Marketing Communications from Webster University in 2020. Combining that education with a few years of professional & freelance experience, I was able to develop my skills and talent to bring me where I am today.

Initially, it was not easy breaking into the graphic design field once I graduated from undergrad. After a few years of declined applications & interviews, I was able to get my break with a newly created graphic designer position at Audacy (formally CBS Radio & Entercom). My manager at the time, Lisa Johnson, took a chance on me and that was all I needed to prove myself. Since then, I have continually grown as a creative and it brought me to my current position as a Digital Graphic Design for iHeartRadio.

It has been challenging along the way but my faith in God and the support of family & friends have lead me to new heights. I’ve been able to lean on them and trust in my skills to face challenges such as Imposter Syndrome, rejection, and burnout and overcome them. I find it best to take time for yourself and mental health in those moments. Prioritize yourself, establish boundaries, and take a step back from the outside world/social media to rejuvenate yourself and your mind. It’s not always easy, but looking back at the journey is fun.

What I want people, to take from my art and brand is that you can be as loud and expressive as you want. Do things that makes you happy and try not to please people. You’ll end up with a hollow feeling if you continually create work that is for other people and not for yourself. I understand it’s fun to receive recognition (and needed by most creatives) but if you can make something that you yourself are proud of, that’s all the recognition you need.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
God, my mother, my siblings, family, friends, and fraternity brothers of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. deserve all the recognition as to where I am today. At each stage of my life and creative upbringing, each of the aforementioned individuals helped to cultivate my personality, creative expression, and the way I conduct business. Helpful advice, tips & tricks from them, and the ability to keep me level have been instrumental in the reason that I am where I am today.

Website: www.dezbdesigning.com

Instagram: dezbdesigning

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/desmondbryant

Twitter: dezbdesigning

Facebook: dezbdesigning