Luke Conte
Luke Conte
Product Designer & Process Strategist
Product Designer & Process Strategist
Open to new opportunities
Open to new opportunities
Luke Conte
Product Designer & Process Strategist
Open to new opportunities
Case Studies
Case Studies
Blast Radius:
Tabletop Card Game
Funded on Kickstarter in 36 hours!
Blast Radius is a strategy-focused card-matching game where players compete to be the first to complete their objectives! Crowdfunded via Kickstarter in May of 2024
Role: End-to-end Product Owner (Solo)
Scope: 0 → 1 Product · Solo · Shipped
Opportunity: Create a portable, fast-paced card game that still supported meaningful strategy.
Impact: Validated demand with a 390%-funded Kickstarter campaign and successful multi-national fulfillment.
Backers
153
Funding Goal
$2,000
Funding Total
$7,804
Blast Radius began as an experiment in designing strategic depth under specific constraints: minimal components, short play sessions, and chaotic player interaction. The project evolved through dozens of playtests, balancing speed, readability, and player agency before shipping as a crowdfunded physical product.
This case study covers:
– Early concept and rules prototyping
– Playtesting and balance iteration
– Designing clarity in high-chaos systems
– Launch validation and post-launch insights
Visualizing Urban
Development Through AR
An AR app concept designed to give communities visibility into construction projects before they break ground. Developed during a 2-week internship sprint at CGI.
Role: UI/UX design, concept refinement (internship)
Scope: Concept-to-mockups · 2-week sprint
Opportunity: Make invisible urban development visible before construction begins.
Impact: Translated an abstract concept into actionable design artifacts and visual direction.
During a 2-week sprint at CGI, I took an early-stage concept for AR-powered urban development visualization and translated it into a tangible product direction. The goal was to make construction projects visible to communities before breaking ground, but the real challenge was defining what that could look like as a usable interface within an extremely tight timeline.
This case study covers:
– AR scan-to-visualize interaction design
– Community forum and information hub interface
– Core user flows and navigation structure
Blast Radius:
Mobile Companion App
Early design exploration translating the physical Blast Radius card game into a mobile experience, establishing visual direction and core interaction patterns.
Role: UI design and product strategy (ongoing)
Scope: Design exploration · Development planned
Opportunity: Remove the learning barrier—let the app teach players as they play.
Impact: Establishing visual direction and translating core game mechanics into mobile UI.
Blast Radius started as a physical card game. Translating it to mobile requires rethinking how strategy, turn-based mechanics, and multiplayer gameplay work on a touchscreen. These early mockups explore the visual direction and core UI patterns, establishing a foundation before diving into flows and interaction design.
This case study covers:
– Main menu and core navigation
– Player health states and status visualization
– Die roll mechanics and feedback
– Information card UI design
Blast Radius:
Tabletop Card Game
Funded on Kickstarter in 36 hours!
Blast Radius is a strategy-focused card-matching game where players compete to be the first to complete their objectives! Crowdfunded via Kickstarter in May of 2024
Role: End-to-end Product Owner (Solo)
Scope: 0 → 1 Product · Solo · Shipped
Opportunity: Create a portable, fast-paced card game that still supported meaningful strategy.
Impact: Validated demand with a 390%-funded Kickstarter campaign and successful multi-national fulfillment.
Backers
153
Funding Goal
$2,000
Funding Total
$7,804
Blast Radius began as an experiment in designing strategic depth under specific constraints: minimal components, short play sessions, and chaotic player interaction. The project evolved through dozens of playtests, balancing speed, readability, and player agency before shipping as a crowdfunded physical product.
This case study covers:
– Early concept and rules prototyping
– Playtesting and balance iteration
– Designing clarity in high-chaos systems
– Launch validation and post-launch insights
Blast Radius:
Tabletop Card Game
Funded on Kickstarter in 36 hours!
Blast Radius is a strategy-focused card-matching game where players compete to be the first to complete their objectives! Crowdfunded via Kickstarter in May of 2024
Role: End-to-end Product Owner (Solo)
Scope: 0 → 1 Product · Solo · Shipped
Opportunity: Create a portable, fast-paced card game that still supported meaningful strategy.
Impact: Validated demand with a 390%-funded Kickstarter campaign and successful multi-national fulfillment.
Backers
153
Funding Goal
$2,000
Funding Total
$7,804
Blast Radius began as an experiment in designing strategic depth under specific constraints: minimal components, short play sessions, and chaotic player interaction. The project evolved through dozens of playtests, balancing speed, readability, and player agency before shipping as a crowdfunded physical product.
This case study covers:
– Early concept and rules prototyping
– Playtesting and balance iteration
– Designing clarity in high-chaos systems
– Launch validation and post-launch insights
Visualizing Urban
Development Through AR
Visualizing Urban
Development Through AR
An AR app concept designed to give communities visibility into construction projects before they break ground. Developed during a 2-week internship sprint at CGI.
Role: UI/UX design, concept refinement (internship)
Scope: Concept-to-mockups · 2-week sprint
Opportunity: Make invisible urban development visible before construction begins.
Impact: Translated an abstract concept into actionable design artifacts and visual direction.
During a 2-week sprint at CGI, I took an early-stage concept for AR-powered urban development visualization and translated it into a tangible product direction. The goal was to make construction projects visible to communities before breaking ground, but the real challenge was defining what that could look like as a usable interface within an extremely tight timeline.
This case study covers:
– AR scan-to-visualize interaction design
– Community forum and information hub interface
– Core user flows and navigation structure
Blast Radius:
Mobile Companion App
Early design exploration translating the physical Blast Radius card game into a mobile experience, establishing visual direction and core interaction patterns.
Role: UI design and product strategy (ongoing)
Scope: Design exploration · Development planned
Opportunity: Remove the learning barrier—let the app teach players as they play.
Impact: Establishing visual direction and translating core game mechanics into mobile UI.
Blast Radius started as a physical card game. Translating it to mobile requires rethinking how strategy, turn-based mechanics, and multiplayer gameplay work on a touchscreen. These early mockups explore the visual direction and core UI patterns, establishing a foundation before diving into flows and interaction design.
This case study covers:
– Main menu and core navigation
– Player health states and status visualization
– Die roll mechanics and feedback
– Information card UI design
Blast Radius:
Mobile Companion App
Early design exploration translating the physical Blast Radius card game into a mobile experience, establishing visual direction and core interaction patterns.
Role: UI design and product strategy (ongoing)
Scope: Design exploration · Development planned
Opportunity: Remove the learning barrier—let the app teach players as they play.
Impact: Establishing visual direction and translating core game mechanics into mobile UI.
Blast Radius started as a physical card game. Translating it to mobile requires rethinking how strategy, turn-based mechanics, and multiplayer gameplay work on a touchscreen. These early mockups explore the visual direction and core UI patterns, establishing a foundation before diving into flows and interaction design.
This case study covers:
– Main menu and core navigation
– Player health states and status visualization
– Die roll mechanics and feedback
– Information card UI design
Resume
Resume
Meta
Research Project Coordinator
August 2025 - February 2026
Pittsburgh, PA
Led project coordination for motion capture and VR research studies, overseeing study setup, maintenance, and delivery while supporting a team of ~40 research associates. Collaborated cross-functionally with Systems Integration, Systems Engineering, Research, and Project Management teams, managing confidential product information and working hands-on with prototype devices.
Meta
Research Associate
November 2024 - August 2025
Pittsburgh, PA
Conducted motion capture studies with external participants to support product delivery and research at Meta Reality Labs; independently trained new hires on proprietary systems; collaborated with leadership to develop standardized training procedures and streamline data-collection workflows.
Duck & Cover Games Co.
Founder & Product Owner
June 2022 - August 2023
Pittsburgh, PA
Led end-to-end product design and delivery of Blast Radius, a tabletop card game, from concept through physical fulfillment. Conducted iterative playtesting and user research to refine gameplay and UX across two Kickstarter campaigns, applying learnings from an initial launch to drive a successful second campaign that funded at 380% of goal, raising $7,800 from 153 backers across 16 countries. Designed a cohesive card and rulebook design system ensuring visual consistency and accessibility throughout.
Apple
Product Specialist
September 2024 - November 2024
Pittsburgh, PA
Guided customers in product selection and provided tailored support, enhancing customer experience and fostering meaningful engagement with Apple products.
CGI
Product Design & Business Strategy Intern
June 2022 - August 2023
Pittsburgh, PA
Developed a scalable UI kit to standardize design systems and accelerate delivery; collaborated with development and stakeholders to design intuitive interfaces for an emergency response application and an early-stage AR urban planning MVP.
BNY Mellon
Project Management Intern
June 2018 - August 2018
Pittsburgh, PA
Supported project management operations for the migration of sensitive data applications between data centers, and delivered a program summary presentation to executives and an audience of 100+ colleagues.
Meta
Research Project Coordinator
August 2025 - February 2026
Pittsburgh, PA
Led project coordination for motion capture and VR research studies, overseeing study setup, maintenance, and delivery while supporting a team of ~40 research associates. Collaborated cross-functionally with Systems Integration, Systems Engineering, Research, and Project Management teams, managing confidential product information and working hands-on with prototype devices.
Meta
Research Associate
November 2024 - August 2025
Pittsburgh, PA
Conducted motion capture studies with external participants to support product delivery and research at Meta Reality Labs; independently trained new hires on proprietary systems; collaborated with leadership to develop standardized training procedures and streamline data-collection workflows.
Apple
Apple
Product Specialist
Product Specialist
September 2024 - November 2024
September 2024 - November 2024
Pittsburgh, PA
Pittsburgh, PA
Guided customers in product selection and provided tailored support, enhancing customer experience and fostering meaningful engagement with Apple products.
Duck & Cover Games Co.
Duck & Cover Games Co.
Founder & Product Owner
Founder & Product Owner
May 2023 - Present
May 2023 - Present
Pittsburgh, PA
Pittsburgh, PA
Led end-to-end product design and delivery of Blast Radius, a tabletop card game, from concept through physical fulfillment. Conducted iterative playtesting and user research to refine gameplay and UX across two Kickstarter campaigns, applying learnings from an initial launch to drive a successful second campaign that funded at 380% of goal, raising $7,800 from 153 backers across 16 countries. Designed a cohesive card and rulebook design system ensuring visual consistency and accessibility throughout.
CGI
CGI
Product Design & Business Strategy Intern
Product Design & Business Strategy Intern
June 2022 - August 2023
June 2022 - August 2023
Pittsburgh, PA
Pittsburgh, PA
Developed a scalable UI kit to standardize design systems and accelerate delivery; collaborated with development and stakeholders to design intuitive interfaces for an emergency response application and an early-stage AR urban planning MVP.
BNY Mellon
BNY Mellon
Project Management Intern
Project Management Intern
June 2018 - August 2018
June 2018 - August 2018
Pittsburgh, PA
Pittsburgh, PA
Supported project management operations for the migration of sensitive data applications between data centers, and delivered a program summary presentation to executives and an audience of 100+ colleagues.
Education
Education
Robert Morris University
B.A. UX/UI Design
Pittsburgh, PA
2020 - 2024
Academics
3.74 GPA - Cum Laude
RMU Honors Program
RMU Dean's List - 8 semesters
Relevant Coursework
Experience Design (XD) Studio I & II, Interactive Animation, 3D Modeling (Rhino), Designing for New Media, Intro to Web Dev. (HTML & CSS), Human Factors Engineering, Interactive Media, Game Design I & II, Social Psychology, 360-Storytelling, Study of Persuasion
Awards
Inaugural Founder - Derrick Multsby Jr. Startup Grant Competition
Outstanding Student Award in UX/UI - RMU School of Informatics, Humanities, and Social Sciences
Dean's Scholar Award - RMU School of Informatics, Humanities, and Social Sciences
Robert Morris University
B.A. UX/UI Design
Pittsburgh, PA
2020 - 2024
Relevant Coursework
Experience Design (XD) Studio I & II, Interactive Animation, 3D Modeling (Rhino), Designing for New Media, Intro to Web Dev. (HTML & CSS), Human Factors Engineering, Interactive Media, Game Design I & II, Social Psychology, 360-Storytelling, Study of Persuasion
Academics
3.74 GPA - Cum Laude
RMU Honors Program
RMU Dean's List - 8 semesters
Awards
Inaugural Founder - Derrick Multsby Jr. Startup Grant Competition
Outstanding Student Award in UX/UI - RMU School of Informatics, Humanities, and Social Sciences
Dean's Scholar Award - RMU School of Informatics, Humanities, and Social Sciences