Ryan Lesser

{{short description|American artist}}

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| education = Rhode Island School of Design

| occupation = Art director, creative director

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Ryan Lesser is an American video game and board game designer, musician and graphic artist living in Providence, Rhode Island. A graduate of Rhode Island School of Design, he is best known for his design and art direction on influential video games Guitar Hero, Guitar Hero II, Rock Band{{Cite web |title=Ryan Lesser (Person) |url=https://www.giantbomb.com/ryan-lesser/3040-90082/ |access-date=2023-12-16 |website=Giant Bomb |language=en}} and The Beatles: Rock Band.{{Cite news |last=Radosh |first=Daniel |date=2009-08-11 |title=While My Guitar Gently Beeps |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/16/magazine/16beatles-t.html |access-date=2023-12-16 |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite web |title=A Day In The Life: Creating The Beatles: Rock Band |url=https://www.gdcvault.com/play/1012927/A-Day-In-The-Life |access-date=2023-12-16 |website=www.gdcvault.com}}

Lesser is an art director at video game developer CD Projekt Red in their American studio [https://www.themolassesflood.com/ The Molasses Flood], faculty at Rhode Island School of Design{{Cite web|url=https://www.risd.edu/people/ryan-lesser/|title=Ryan Lesser | RISD|access-date=2019-03-15|archive-date=2019-03-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190329063026/https://www.risd.edu/people/ryan-lesser/|url-status=dead}} and Founder of Wild Power Games.{{Cite web|url=https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/67394/ryan-lesser|title = Ryan Lesser | Board Game Designer | BoardGameGeek}} From 1999–2018, Lesser served as creative lead and art director at Harmonix.[https://web.archive.org/web/20071112040644/http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2007/10/26/harmonix-on-guitar-hero-iii-bittersweet-like-seeing-kids-off-to-college/ MTV Multiplayer » Harmonix on ‘Guitar Hero III’ — Bittersweet, Like Seeing Kids Off to College] He was a member of the heavy metal band Megasus. In the early- to mid-1990s, Lesser worked{{Cite web |title=Fairey Faces the Giant {{!}} RISD |url=https://www.risd.edu/news/stories/fairey-faces-giant |access-date=2023-12-16 |website=www.risd.edu |language=en}} with Shepard Fairey on the street art phenomena "Andre the Giant has a Posse"{{Cite web|url=https://www.widewalls.ch/artist/shepard-fairey/|title = Shepard Fairey}} and "Obey,"{{Cite web|url=http://www.complex.com/style/2013/09/the-art-evolution-of-shepard-fairey/|title = The Art Evolution of Shepard Fairey|website = Complex Networks}} and edited Helen Stickler's video documentary André the Giant Has a Posse and co-created Attention Deficit Disorder{{Cite web |title=Attention Deficit Disorder - The Giant: The Definitive Obey Giant Site |url=http://www.thegiant.org/wiki/index.php/Attention_Deficit_Disorder |access-date=2023-12-16 |website=www.thegiant.org}} with Shepard Fairey.[http://www.thegiant.org/wiki/index.php/Attention_Deficit_Disorder Attention Deficit Disorder]

In 2014, Lesser led a successful Kickstarter campaign{{Cite web |last=Tach |first=Dave |date=2014-05-05 |title=Amplitude may get a crowdfunded sequel from Harmonix called Amplitude |url=https://www.polygon.com/2014/5/5/5682816/amplitude-kickstarter-harmonix-interview |access-date=2023-12-16 |website=Polygon |language=en-US}} for the Harmonix video game Amplitude to ship on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3.