Alex Ry

Independent Creative





Manning Drone Services
2024How do you bridge the gap between the technical and the meaningful? Manning Drone Services stradles a unique space in the market—offering both structural inspections for large commercial institutions and aerial documentation for meaningful moments. 

I developed a brand strategy that positions MDS as a trustworthy partner in capturing what matters (be it data or documentation). Playing with perspective, I designed a logomark, identity system, and website that ties together themes of trust, elevation, and digital mapping.

Client: Manning Drone Services

Identity Design, Digital Design, Brand Strategy
TikTok Creative Cards
2023I helped lead design for this digital tool—a deck of cards, aimed to help content creators and small businesses develop their brands on TikTok.

TikTok came to us with a wide breadth of content—
our goal was to distill this information into something clear, consise, and recognizably playful. Taking inspiration from the app itself, we utilized color and motion to guide users through the experience.

Client: TikTok for Business
Agency: Bandolier Media
Creative Direction: Nick Robalik
Design: Myself, Juan Roque, and Rachel Ko
Motion Design: Matt Houston
Copywriting: George Ellis
Development: Graham Lambertson

Digital Design, Art Direction
La Bohéme
2022How do we go from tragedy to hope? From death to life? From loneliness to love? These are the questions the Detroit Opera explored in their 2022 production of ‘La Bohéme. This production was the first to stage it in reverse—inspiring the backwards É in the artwork.

Client: Detroit Opera
Agency: Lafayette American
Creative Direction: Meg Jannott
Graphic Design: Myself & Asha Cook

Awards: Graphis Design Awards, Communications Arts

Graphic Design
Support Black Business
2022To launch TikTok’s 2022 Support Black Business accelerator program, the Bandolier team and I built a suite of digital assets with the mission of encouraging Black businesses to apply for the free, 4-week accelerator.

I led the design for the program’s sizzle reel and landing page, which captured over 3.5k leads (a 1,000% increase from last year) and accepted over 300 participants into the cohort (8x the participants of the year before). 

Client: TikTok for Business
Agency: Bandolier Media
Creative Direction: Nick Robalik
Design: Myself
Copywriting: George Ellis
Motion Design: Landon Peterson
Development: Graham Lambertson

Digital Design, Art Direction
Dilla Dills
2022A limited edition pickle celebrating the life and legacy of a Detroit icon: the one and only J Dilla. Brined, jarred, and packed to Dilla beats.

As a pickle girl myself, this was a dream to be part of.

Client: McClure’s Pickles
Agency: Lafayette American
ECD: Doug Patterson
Creative Direction: Sarah Bills, Philip Bator
Design: Myself & Cecilia Hong
Producer: Nellie Smydra
Social Strategist: Caite Marchione
Senior Account Executive: Yasmine Shitta
Project Manager: Timothy Gault

Graphic Design
Internal TikTok Brands
2022-24Various B2B brands and campaigns for TikTok.

Client: TikTok for Business
Agency: Bandolier Media
Creative Direction: Nick Robalik
Design: Myself

Identity Design

Ordinary Objects of Importance
2020A personal project in which I catalogue objects that have shaped my identity. 

Self Portrait
Watch at Least One Sunrise a Day
2020A personal project in which I catalogue the best sunrises of 2019.

Graphic Design
Across the Mediterranean
2019I was hired to photograph fashion and travel blogger, Chelsea Lankford, on the inaugural cruise of Princess Cruises’ brand new ship—sailing from Venice to Athens.

Client: Chelsea Lankford (@truelane)

Photography
Stronger Than You Think
2019For International Women’s day, seven Critical Mass creatives designed a series of limited edition shirts and stickers—each individually inspired by the power and prowess of women.

I designed this shirt with two brilliant writers. Inspired by our grandmas, our mothers, athletes, and artists, we wanted to tell a story of the strength these women possess—each of them stronger than she thinks. For the design, I chose a typeface that takes up space—one that pushes the limits of legibility and can’t be summed up in a single glance.

Agency: Critical Mass
Copywriters: Lauren Ophang, Jaclyn Hamer
Typeface: Dot19 by Metis Foundry

Graphic Design
© Alex Ry, LLC. 2018-26
 Say hello@alex-ry.com
Online: Substack, Instagram, LinkedIn
IRL: Washington D.C.