# Ryan ODonoghue > UX & Product Design | Design Systems, Games, Tools | Previously: Riot Location: San Francisco Bay Area, United States Profile: https://flows.cv/ryanodonoghue I’m a Lead Product Designer with 15+ years of experience shaping systems, tools, and interfaces at the intersection of design, tech, and play. I’ve helped scale live services and game platforms at Riot Games (Legends of Runeterra) and Hypixel (Hytale), and built and led a 10-person design org at Recur where we transformed bespoke brand marketplaces into a systemized platform that accelerated brand launches by 78%. My superpower is turning ambiguity into clarity — whether that means building a flexible design system from scratch, aligning teams across disciplines, or raising the bar on visual polish and usability. I specialize in product foundations, player-facing systems, and tools that support teams. I'm currently exploring new roles in product design across tech, games, and AI. I’m open to IC or leadership opportunities, with a preference for remote or SF Bay Area hybrid work. Portfolio: www.ryanodon.com ## Work Experience ### Director, UX/UI @ Hypixel Studios Jan 2023 – Jan 2025 Scaled the UX/UI team, supporting both UX and visual design across a complex systems-driven game. Rebuilt the design pipeline from Adobe + Axure to a centralized, tokenized Figma system, improving cross-team velocity and design consistency. Created and managed the teams roadmap in collaboration with leads across game design, engineering, production, and art — aligning the team around a unified strategy. ### Director Of Product Design @ RECUR Jan 2022 – Jan 2023 Built the design team from 2 to 10 and created core tracks for systems, tools, and experience design to support high-velocity launches. Designed and scaled the internal and partner-facing design systems that powered drops for Nickelodeon, Hello Kitty, Care Bears, and more — reducing design + eng overhead by 50%. Led strategy and execution across marketplaces, brand tools, and user flows, while partnering with the COO and CTO to align design with company-wide launch infrastructure goals. ### Manager, Visual Design / Art Lead @ Riot Games Jan 2020 – Jan 2022 | Los Angeles, California, United States Co-led the visual direction of Legends of Runeterra from early prototype through global launch, defining core systems like progression, content unlocks, and live event branding. Built and scaled the visual design system in Figma, increasing team velocity and transforming how product, design, and engineering collaborated. Grew into a lead role managing a team of visual and motion designers, while partnering with engineers, game designers, and product managers to ship polished live content and features. ### Senior Visual Designer @ Riot Games Jan 2017 – Jan 2020 | Greater Los Angeles Area ### Art Director / Designer @ Freelance Designer / Self Employed Jan 2014 – Jan 2017 | Portland, Oregon Area Freelance UX, UI, interaction and motion design for brands like Nike, Intel, Microsoft, Motorola, PlayStation and Redbull. ### Digital Experience Director @ SET Creative Jan 2015 – Jan 2016 | Portland, Oregon Area ### Interactive Art Director @ Struck Jan 2014 – Jan 2015 ### Lead / Sr. Digital Designer @ Roundhouse Jan 2014 – Jan 2014 ### Sr. Digital Designer @ Liquid Agency Jan 2012 – Jan 2014 ### Partner @ Hax Studios Jan 2011 – Jan 2012 Helped found a company with a focus of mobile app and game development. Created several app and game prototypes primarily for the Windows Phone OS. Responsible for finding additional creative resources, as well as managing all creative output. ### Sr. Art Director @ Iron Horse Interactive Jan 2009 – Jan 2012 | San Ramon, CA Managed projects including client communication, delivery schedules and workflow for a team of designers. I was involved with the design process from initial concept through final delivery on projects ranging from internet based commercials and animated game/video content to web applications and conference print collateral. ## Education ### BAS in Digital Visual Media SAE Expression College Jan 2003 – Jan 2005 ## Contact & Social - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/ryanodon - Portfolio: http://www.ryanodon.com --- Source: https://flows.cv/ryanodonoghue JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/ryanodonoghue/resume.json Last updated: 2026-03-25