Ryan worked on enhancing the build system for the aseprite/aseprite repository, focusing on improving deployment flexibility and packaging readiness. He introduced a new build option that allows aseprite to link against a shared TinyEXIF library, supporting environments where dependencies are managed externally. Using C++ and CMake, Ryan also addressed a critical configuration issue by refining ZLIB_FOUND handling, ensuring reliable builds even when shared ZLIB is not present. His work reduced build-time friction and improved integration for downstream users. The depth of these changes reflects a strong understanding of build system configuration and cross-environment deployment challenges in C++ projects.