小优传媒

Freelance designer

06/20/2023

Matt DeRitter created wraps for cars, promotional work for racetracks and designs for Hot Wheels.

graphic design major excels as a freelancer 

Watching YouTube videos in high school, Matt DeRitter 鈥�24 of Pompton Lakes, N.J., stumbled on one about graphic design. That鈥檚 when 鈥渋t all clicked.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 so clich茅 to say but once you find your passion that鈥檚 all you think about. It literally was like a switch went off,鈥� said DeRitter. 鈥淚 can do graphic design for hours and not get tired of it.鈥� 

Throughout high school, art teachers encouraged him to develop his skills, and DeRitter began taking on freelance gigs in his sophomore year.  

Now a graphic design major at 小优传媒, DeRitter runs two graphic design businesses, MDR Designs, which focuses on developing logos and brand guidelines for small businesses, and MRDR Graphics, which focuses on his other passion鈥攔acing.  

鈥淚t鈥檚 a more aggressive style,鈥� explained DeRitter.  鈥淚 do wraps for cars, and I鈥檝e worked with some racetracks doing promotional work. It's just a different style that I wanted to break off and grow along with MDR Designs.鈥� 

He鈥檚 also worked with brands as a subcontractor and is currently completing designs for Hot Wheels cars. 

鈥淢y first designs should come out by the end of the year,鈥� said DeRitter. 鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely surreal to be working with a childhood brand like Hot Wheels and to see their processes including the ins and outs of that type of work while creating graphics for the cars.鈥� 

A graphic design student assistant in the art department, DeRitter is grateful for Bluffton鈥檚 small class sizes and the ability to bounce ideas off professors including Andreas Baumgartner, associate professor of art. 

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think any other school would be able to provide the type of attention that Bluffton has,鈥� said DeRitter.  

In Advanced Studies in Computer Graphic Design, DeRitter was challenged to complete a logo a week. 

鈥淚t was really nice to feel the pressure of having strict deadlines to see what it would be like to work in a design studio or agency,鈥� said De Ritter. 

But he also appreciates taking classes where he鈥檚 developing new skills such as Printmaking. 

鈥淚 feel comfortable in front of a computer screen, but when it comes to physical projects like transferring a design to a screen or burning it or working in the dark room, that鈥檚 something I haven鈥檛 had the chance to do before and it鈥檚 nice to learn,鈥� he explained. 

DeRitter recently completed his cross-cultural experience to Kentucky where he enjoyed hiking and taking photos. Now entering his senior year on campus, DeRitter is looking forward to growing his skills through an internship or independent study and further building his portfolio.