About me
Thanks for checking out my work. My name is Ryan House and my passion is for building strong teams, unique experiences, and great products. I am fascinated by art, design, user experience, and software development. Below is a recap of my journey so far.
Early career
When I began my career, I always knew I wanted to make great software products but I didn't exactly know where that path began.
I started by exploring art and graphic design to better understand what made content engaging and exciting to users. I wanted to know what made some products stand out above their competitors. In this pursuit, I initially worked heavily in marketing, user research, and branding.
Entry to software
I quickly transitioned out of marketing in an effort to focus more on product design itself, specifically UI/UX design. As I explored new design patterns and more complex interfaces, I realized that I was introducing increasingly complex challenges for development teams. I wanted to understand how my work effected theirs, and ultimately the product experience as a whole. It seemed that there needed to be more cohesion between designers and developers. I spent the next few years educating myself on software development and working my way through some development positions.
In terms of my career development, this was a bit of a restart. I knew going in that it would be a grind, but I needed to fully understand the nuances of how this component of product development interacted with the others. I gradually worked my way through the engineering ranks, eventually leading software teams, but I was always focused on the impact of the product on users.
Creating experiences
What I loved was creating experiences for users. I wanted software to be both performant and easy to use. I wanted users to really feel connected to the products they were engaging with. Analytics platforms should feel empowering, social platforms should feel exciting, tool kits and services should be uplifting and stress reducing. Understanding how to not only design, but subsequently build these experiences has taken me a long time. It's been a career long journey, but one that is rewarding.
I love talking to users and helping them solve problems. It's the power that this creative domain provides us as product developers and engineers. Whether I am planning out user flows, designing software architecture, or discussing go-to-market strategy, I feel that I am making a difference to those that engage with my work. I hope to continue to provide this value for the remainder of my career.
Leading the way
These days, I spend much of my time developing teams. As I take on larger scale projects I rely on others to help me realize a vision. In this capacity, I often help train and educate designers and developers in their fields of expertise. I plan out product road maps and facilitate project management workflows. I still get to apply my passion and creativity for finding solutions to complex problems and creating amazing experiences for users, but I also orchestrate efforts across a broader spectrum.
I have been very fortunate in my career. I have been allowed to pursue my hobbies, interests, and passions in the work that I do. I have always been driven by my creativity and now I have the pleasure of helping others discover that path for themselves.
