Dean Connell is a workspace design consultant and furniture designer with over 20 years of global experience creating interiors that prioritise both user experience and material responsibility. Dean was one of seven original designers at WeWork who created the coworking product that transformed the industry. He went on to lead design teams across New York, London, Shanghai, and Tokyo, delivering more than 3 million square feet of workspace. As WeWork's Global FF&E Creative Director, he developed a $5 million furniture collection of 140 unique styles and 66 bespoke pieces.

His extensive experience in commercial interiors revealed the sector's endemic waste problem. In 2024, Dean completed the Circular Economy Masterclass at the University of Exeter Business School and launched his "Circular by Design" furniture collection to challenge the throwaway culture within commercial real estate.

His design philosophy focuses on designing for longevity. His belief is that keeping original designs in operation for longer preserves product value, future-proofs material use, and creates furniture that can be repaired rather than replaced. Through his consultancy I-AM.D.C, Dean works with workspace operators to create environments where furniture is specified with intention and designed for the long game.