Game Design & Development
From mechanics and worldbuilding to playable prototypes and production-ready builds, Illustrategy develops original game experiences with a strong design point of view.
Game studio and creative technology consultancy.
Illustrategy creates games, digital experiences, visual identities, and data-driven creative work that blends design, strategy, and technology.
What We Do
Games, design, and data-driven creative technology.
Design & Illustration
Identity systems, logos, visual storytelling, and illustration crafted to be distinctive, practical, and durable across digital and physical contexts.
Web & Interactive
Responsive websites and interactive experiences that balance clarity, personality, and performance for artists, organizations, and independent brands.
Data Visualization & Creative Technology
Analytical tools and visual systems that turn complex information into clear narratives for strategy, research, and communication.
Selected Work
Games, identity, web, and data-driven projects.
Flagship Game Project
Bugs ’N Boo Hags
A multiple award-winning hybrid of tower defense and retro arcade-style platforming inspired by the folklore, history, scenery, and traditions of the South Carolina Lowcountry. Coming exclusively to iOS in 2026.
Visit bugsnboohags.com
Identity / Branding
HTCCS Athletic Logo Design
Designed the inaugural athletic logo (2015-2017) for Holy Trinity Classical Christian School in Beaufort, South Carolina.
Web Design
USCB Responsive Microsite
Developed a responsive test microsite for University of South Carolina Beaufort (USCB) as part of their 2013 website redesign process.
Data-Driven Analysis & Communication
DRD Legal Data Insights
Analyzed ADR dataset for Dispute Resolution Data (DRD); co-wrote & prepared figures for 5-part series on Kluwer Arbitration Blog (2018-19).
Music & Arts
Rock Ridge Music Sampler site
Designed logo & minisite for distributing a rotating selection of MP3s from artists represented by the indie label Rock Ridge Music (2007-08).
About
Independent studio, cross-disciplinary practice.
Illustrategy operates at the intersection of games, design, illustration, and creative technology. The studio pairs strong visual thinking with practical technical execution to build work that is expressive, useful, and grounded in real goals.
Whether launching a game concept, shaping a brand system, designing a website, or visualizing complex data, our approach is focused, collaborative, and built for clarity.
Founder
Brian Canada, PhD
Illustrategy is led by Brian Canada, a designer, game developer, and computational scientist whose work spans game development, branding, web design, illustration, data visualization, and tech writing.
For game projects, Brian sometimes works under the creative alias Acrid Banana, while Illustrategy remains the primary studio identity.
Over its 25-year history, Illustrategy has developed branding, websites, album cover designs, and other creative work for the music industry, including artists like Jim Dickinson, Chris Henderson, Khia, Ernie Halter, and Tony Lucca, rock bands like Sister Hazel, The Ike Reilly Assassination, Psychostick, and BlueSuedeGroove, and for major indie labels like Artemis Records and Rock Ridge Music. Illustrategy has also provided data analysis and blog writing services for Dispute Resolution Data, merchandise design for Old State Clothing Company, website work for painter Ilene Spiewak, the Mighty Lions athletic logo for Holy Trinity Classical Christian School, as well as print and web work for the University of South Carolina Beaufort, and much more!
Outside of Illustrategy, Dr. Canada serves as tenured full professor and department chair at the University of South Carolina Beaufort (USCB), where he has taught courses on video game production, the digital humanities, object-oriented programming, full-stack web development, and even thermodynamics!
Contact
Let’s build something amazing.
Start with an email
hello@illustrategy.comShare your project goals, timeline, and context. Illustrategy is available for game, design, web, and data-driven creative engagements.