About Me

Thank you for visiting my online portfolio. My name is Ryan Wakefield and I'm a professional graphic and multimedia designer living within the Tampa Bay area. I have 20 years of experience working for various marketing/communication teams within the following industries: food service, toy manufacturing, medical, transportation, and education. In addition to design, I'm a skilled photographer and videographer with a deep understanding of lighting, sound, composition, and video editing with multimedia software. Illlustration (branding, infographics) and editorial writing are two more services I provide.


Since I was young, I loved fantasy and had a strong desire to breathe life into a new world. I recently published an award-winning middle grade fantasy novel titled Journey to Jumbalot. Visit www.jumbalot.com to learn more about this exciting project! 


Ryan Wakefield

Latest Projects

By Ryan Wakefield 30 Oct, 2024
Dr. Daniel Yeh, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of South Florida, was in need of a videographer to record and edit a video to be played at the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame Ceremony . Dr. Yeh was inducted into the Hall of Fame for his creation of the NEWgenerator water filtration device. The NEWgenerator works by using a novel bioreactor to break down waste organic matter using microorganisms, followed by a fine-pore microscopic membrane filter that traps bacteria and viruses. Clean water that passes through is then disinfected with chlorine, similar to municipal drinking water. The recycled water can also be used for toilet flushing in the sanitation facilities and for irrigation, allowing plants to grow, even in a drought. Congratulations to Dr. Yeh for winning this prestigious award!
By Ryan Wakefield 30 Oct, 2024
Augmented reality (AR) has proven to be incredibly entertaining. I envisioned transforming a new poster design that showcases the University of South Florida's mascot, Rocky the Bull, into a superhero akin to Iron Man. Having recently started learning an AR-related program, I decided to make the poster interactive. Now, by scanning the QR code with a smartphone, one can activate a 3D animated version of the poster complete with music and a video backdrop.
By Ryan Wakefield 22 Sep, 2024
I was recently tasked with creating a sizzle reel for the USF College of Engineering. The video featured action shots of faculty and students working in various labs. I shot most of the footage and synchronized each scene to the beat of an uplifting music track. It's incredible to see engineering students building and improving robots, drones, automated vehicles, and even a small satellite that was launched by NASA.
By Ryan Wakefield 20 Sep, 2024
I had the opportunity to generate new ideas for social media graphics and I envisioned a USF engineering student flying in a futuristic mechanical-drone suit. My supervisor liked the graphic and recommended converting it into a face-in-hole board. This new board will be used for photo opportunities at upcoming USF College of Engineering events. My niece was recently in town and posed for a quick photo.
By Ryan Wakefield 17 Sep, 2024
Each year, I’ve had the pleasure of crafting social media graphics to promote events, holidays, and various updates for the USF College of Engineering. Here are three examples of reels I’ve created using Photoshop AI, enhanced with a touch of animation via video software. AI + animation + music = creative magic!
By Ryan Wakefield 05 Sep, 2024
It's been a while since I dived into the world of web design, and I recently had the pleasure of creating a new digital home for the TECO Clean Energy Research Center (CERC). Specializing in solar and hydrothermal energy research, CERC wanted to update their outdated site with a modern, clean look using USF’s preferred CMS, Omni Update. They also requested new photos of faculty and students working within their lab, so I organized a photoshoot and captured those images myself. The CERC team was thrilled with the new look, and it was wonderful to return to web design, a field I used to work in regularly. View site: TECO Clean Energy Research Center | University of South Florida (usf.edu)
By Ryan Wakefield 02 Apr, 2024
When I was a boy, my mom told me that my grandfather was a great baseball player (pitcher). Scouts from the majors wanted him to play, but WW2 forever changed those plans. He lived in Chicago most of his life and he was a devoted Cubs fan. I'm sure that he imagined himself standing on that pitcher's mound whenever he watched his beloved team play. I created the illustration below in Adobe Photoshop as a gift to my mom for her birthday.
By Ryan Wakefield 03 Jan, 2024
This is a New Year's social media animation created for the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR). Since CUTR's logo is circular in shape, I thought it would be interesting to somehow add it to a moving car. The moving car represents driving into the new year and Adobe After Effects enabled me to track CUTR's logo to a moving wheel in the video background.
By Ryan Wakefield 12 Dec, 2023
During the last few years at the USF College of Engineering, I've been tasked with creating animated holiday video messages for Dean Robert H. Bishop. This year's theme is the combination of an illuminated holiday tree built from computer circuits and a hologram delivering Dean Bishop's message. I filmed the dean in front of a green screen and dropped in amazing special effects with the use of Adobe After Effects. The result is a fun, creative video message that adds a touch of engineering to the holidays.
By Ryan Wakefield 01 Dec, 2023
It was a wonderful experience accepting my book’s gold medal on stage at the annual Readers’ Favorite Book Awards. Journey to Jumbalot won a gold medal within the preteen fantasy category last year, but I was unable to attend since my wife and I were both sick with pneumonia. I’d like to thank the event organizers at Readers’ Favorite for allowing me to accept my award this year on stage - it meant a lot to us both! We also attended the massive Miami Book Fair and enjoyed chatting with several fellow authors. Please visit http://www.jumbalot.com to learn more about my first award-winning fantasy novel!
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Portfolio

Select a category image below to view samples of my work. 


Contact

Contact Us

or contact me via the following:

Ryjumbalot@gmail.com       727-412-2705    •   View Resume


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