Ryan Irvin, an Indiana native, earned his undergraduate degree in Visual Communications with a minor in Photography from Purdue University. He began his career as a freelance designer and fine artist before moving to Colorado, where he worked as Lead Print Designer at the University of Northern Colorado. There, he honed his expertise in print production, branding, and collaborative design before returning to Indiana to pursue an M.F.A. in Graphic Design at Indiana University.

He has worked as an in-house designer, design director, and art director, eventually founding his own graphic design studio specializing in visual brand identity, product design, and functional art. His work—spanning paintings, collages, and graphic design—has been exhibited internationally and is part of the permanent collection at the Scuola Internazionale di Grafica in Venice.

Currently a professor of Graphic Design at Indiana University, Ryan teaches typography, design fundamentals, and visual communication, drawing on extensive industry experience with entrepreneurs, institutions, and design studios. Beyond academia, he is engaged in the local arts community, with research exploring the intersections of history, archaeology, and mythology. His work integrates traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design, creating functional, narrative-driven objects that bridge past and present through a lens of curiosity and play.