Hello 👋

My name is Ryan Nelson, and I'm a multi-disciplinary designer, creative technologist & game developer dedicated to the art of figuring it out.

I love working on big or technically challenging projects in small teams that involve experience design and storytelling.

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Experience

Buck

Creative Technologist (2019–2024)

At Buck, I worked on immersive VR and AR experiences for clients including Meta, Google, and Ally Bank.

Dream Stream holds a special place—a truly immersive VR holiday party experience that pushed the medium into an exciting new place. I helped guide technical direction and creative vision for a team of 113+ contributors, creating multiple interconnected virtual worlds featuring real-time multiplayer networking and innovative interaction mechanics.

Other notable projects include Whisperer, a voice-controlled VR experience for Meta that ended up on the Quest Store and GitHub; Google Pocket Garden, an open-source AR demo showcasing Google's Geospatial API; Portal Storytime, interactive AR storytelling for Facebook Portal; Li'l Scratcher, an Instagram AR beat lab; and Adventures with Zeee Bucks, an AR educational app teaching kids about financial literacy.

Assorted Projects

Solo & Freelance (2014–2019)

I've built and prototyped all sorts of games and creative tech projects, including a VR puppetry tool for rapid 3D animation with Encyclepedia Pictura, a creative sandbox game with Adventure Time creator Pendleton Ward, pixel-art animations for AMC's Halt and Catch Fire, functional on-screen props for indie films, and UI and marketing art for Jordan Mechner's Karateka reboot.

Quote-Unquote Films

Director of Digital Things (2010–2015)

Collaborating with veteran screenwriter John August, I helped launch the open-source screenplay format Fountain, creating a new category of screenwriting apps.

I was lead designer on Highland (winner of the 2013 MacWorld editor's award) and Weekend Read, a mobile-optimized screenplay reading experience for iOS.

Writer Emergency Pack—a deck of cards designed to help writers through writer's block—became one of the most-backed card projects in Kickstarter history, raising over $155,000. For each deck sent to backers, we donated a deck to youth writing programs across the country.

I also designed Bronson Watermarker, used in film & TV production including the Netflix revival of Arrested Development, and One Hit Kill, an over-the-top card game about building ridiculously overpowered weapons.