Hey up, I’m Ryan. How’s tricks?

Yorkshire-born. Mancunian-designed. Berlin-engineered.

I’m a Creative Director, graphic designer, brand strategist, consultant, and full-stack/iOS developer, bouncing between Berlin and Manchester, building worlds for founders, teams, and anyone who gives a damn about the link between emotion and experience.

Which makes me permanently obsessed with how design, code, and music can make people feel something.

Ten years of creativity, design, and development

I spent a decade as Executive Creative Director at Umlaut, a branding and development agency I founded, built, ran, and exited.

Now I run Dead Keen—my new studio that sits somewhere between a brand shop, a dev studio, and a narrative universe. I design and build:

Brands with an actual heartbeat
Websites and web apps that don’t feel dead inside
iOS apps that look like they belong on your homsecreen and in your life

Alongside client work, I act as a fractional brand/design/product partner for a handful of founders and teams who want honest thinking, joined-up strategy, and someone who can actually ship things. I’m currently working with Voir as their fractional Chief Technology & Marketing Officer.

Things I’m building right now

I designed, developed, and actively curate Scratch—a music discovery and playlist platform that’s slowly evolving into a digital club in your pocket and a love letter to the dancefloor. There’s an iOS app in beta you can download and play with.

I also spent four years writing about design, creativity, and digital culture for Shutterstock, and I now write longer, nerdier thoughts on this site when my ADHD brain cooperates. In 2024, I wrote a piece about Tim Cook and how his decisions have impacted LGBTQ+ rights, which was picked up by an entire swathe of the tech press for a few days, leaving me proud but also unequivocally glad that it was just fifteen minutes of fame.

There are a few other universes quietly humming in the background—podcasts, a dating app, and the odd narrative project—all circling the same question: how do we build things that feel like somewhere you want to be, not just something you have to use?

Other bits and bobs

I split my time between Manchester and Berlin becasue I can’t bear to give either of them up.

Manchester for the humour, graft, and "oh go on then, one more drink"
Berlin for the freedom, the chaos, and the way a Tuesday can accidentally turn into a Saturday

I’m a people-person even if my ADHD sometimes disagrees. I care a lot about how folks are really doing under the surface-level "yeah, all good".

But above all else, music is the big one for me. Think disco, funk, soul, 90’s RnB, and early hiphop. IRL, you’ll often find me misbehaving at HMD’s Berlin residency at the Prince Charles near Moritzplatz—dancing is fuel for the soul, and free theraopy—I’m a committed attendee.

Outside of that, I’m:

Learning German (inch-by-inch) and piano (slowly but surely)
A bit obsessed with video games (320 hours of Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey to date and still not done with it)
A hobbyist photographer gremlin with a camera roll full of skylines, shadows, and club carnage
Very loyal to Japanese cuisine (I make a killer ramen)
A hopeless Apple fanboy. I know, I know. I’ve made my peace with it

Neurodivergent fine print

I’ve got full-fat ADHD—inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Sounds like a lot right? Well, sure, but it’s part of why I’m good at what I do: I see patterns, jump between worlds quickly, and get properly obsessed with ideas I care about. It also means I build structure, honesty, and realistic expectations into the way I work—for me and for anyone I’m collaborating with.

Get in touch

If any of this sounds like your cup of chaos, feel free to say hey on Threads, LinkedIn, or Insta. Or check out my availability and book something in.

I’m always up for a brew and a natter, a founder therapy session, or a debrief about the best breakdown in a nu-disco track.

I hope you enjoy my corner of the internet. Cheers for dropping by.