Sketch of Me
My name's Ryan & I'm a
I'm a new school designer
Which means I worry about old school things like line, shape, direction, color, value, and texture but apply them to interactions, user experiences, and interfaces. My business card says, Web Designer but I’m no stranger to graphic design, illustration, or identity work. Additionally I'm a organized, semantically-correct front-end developer who can take a project from concept to completion.
All about me
I am a graphic designer and web developer in blisteringly hot Tempe, Arizona. I work for Arizona State University as an interaction designer, run a freelance design group called Pixelbleed, and occasionally write a tutorial or article for the design community. I believe in web standards, convention over configuration, clean valid markup, the getting real business philosophy, and beautiful visuals. I've studied design formally but practiced it long before that. I'm keen to understand how things work, but more importantly--how people use them. I hate the word expert because it presumes that there is nothing left to learn, and there is always more to learn.
Because mine is a creative industry (and therefore highly subjective) I believe who I am is just as important as what I can do. So, I don't shy away from sharing personal details on any web site tailored to my professional development--because they go hand in hand.
*This site is not meant to be portfolio. Nor a place to sell services to potential clients. My work is cataloged on my freelance site. This site's goal was to create a window into my world and my work that a traditional resume just can't compete with.
My Process
Potential client's should direct their attention to my freelance site, Pixelbleed.
I approach every new project as an opportunity to do three things:
- Solve a problem,
- Build something beautiful,
- Learn something useful.
Everything else is just icing on the cake.
Before designing a web site I like to begin by sitting down with my notes, closing my eyes, and thinking about the easiest way a goal can be accomplished. Why have three sections when two will do? Why create a page for subscribing, when it will fit in the footer? Does their need to be sub-navigation or can we use drop-downs? In my experience the simplest solutions are the most lasting ones.
Technical proficiencies
I use CSS for presentation, HTML/XHTML for page structure, JavaScript for actions, ExpressionEngine or Wordpress for content management, GIT for version control, and I know my way around the Ruby on Rails application structure.
Degree's
Recommended Reading
Education
Design is just something I have always done. Technology is something I've always been drawn to. As an undergraduate studying Economics, I didn't consider design a viable career. Yet, upon graduating when I went to look for a job I went straight to web design. Funny games the mind plays. I found a fantastic position almost immediately and haven't looked back since. Getting a steady paycheck, stripe benefits, a nice work space, and new Mac Book Pro went a long way in opening my eyes to just how viable a career in design was. I did two things immediately to formalize my newly chosen carrer path.
- Started revamping my portfolio every year
- Enrolled in a Master's program to study Graphic Information Technology, at night. (Another major perk of working for a University are free classes.)
Landing a job so quickly (outside my formal education) had everything to do with freelancing. Almost accidentally, I had built up a descent portfolio on the side. All the while spending my days in the library toiling over complex equations for things like Heteroskedasticity & Auto-correlation. I don't consider it time wasted. Economics is still a field of great interest to me, and flexing my left-brain really helped to develop my critical problem solving skills. I'm certain I wouldn't be as comfortable working with code if it hadn't been for those long nights crunching numbers in the Hayden library.
The specifics
M.S. Technology, Graphic Info Tech
College of Technology and Innovation, Arizona State University
M.S. Economics
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Arizona State University
Experience
Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University
Web Specialist
June 2008 - Present
Under the Director of Communications I am responsible for all public web projects concerning the Institute. I also work with a team of developers on the concept and design of internal web applications.
Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering, Arizona State University
Jr. Web Designer
May 2007 - June 2008
Worked under the Manager of Creative Services. Designed, developed, tested, and implemented standard complaint web sites for a variety of internal projects for ASU's Engineering College.
Pixelbleed
Freelance Web Designer & Developer
2004 - Present
A freelance design studio I run with various collaborators on graphic and web design projects big and small. You can see the work I've done here.
Portfolio
The former version of this site served as my hub for both freelance client interaction and personal info. I decided to break those two components into their out respective identities. Thus I have Pixelbleed.net and Ryan-O'Rourke.com. The former houses my body of work, and the later (this page) is intended to highlight my design point-of-view and is laid out more like a resume.
Enough with the text, just let me see your stuff! (@ Pixelbleed).