Bio

Jared Schiffman has worked at the intersection of visual art, computer science and education for the past decade. His passion lies in the design of digital media that is interactive, informative and visually interesting.

In 1999, as a student at MIT, Jared developed a novel piece of software called ClayScape3D, which allowed digital artists to interactively sculpt virtual three-dimensional clay in realtime. A simplified version of the software, ClayScape3D4Kids, has been used in classrooms around the world to introduce children as young as seven to digital media.

While still an undergraduate, Jared began doing research at the MIT Media Laboratory with the newly appointed Prof. John Maeda. Jared worked with Prof. Maeda for three years as an undergraduate and then continued to study under Prof. Maeda as a graduate student in the Aesthetics & Computation Group. Here, Jared focused his energy on making the task of programming more accessible. His efforts led to development of the groundbreaking “Visual Machine” series, a set of five visual programming languages. In additional to these research projects, Jared created several interactive art pieces that were presented in group exhibitions at the Art Directors Club, the Museum of the Moving Image, and the Museum of Modern Art.

Following graduation from the Media Lab, Jared moved to San Diego to teach mathematics and physics to students at High Tech High, a newly founded progressive charter school. While at High Tech High, Jared developed a curriculum which challenged the students to creatively apply their knowledge. Students designed their own Flash-based video games, constructed instruments and composed music for them, and performed an interpretive dance which demonstrated visually a range of mathematical functions.

After two years, Jared reluctantly left High Tech High and moved to New York to devote the whole of his efforts to the creative process. In the fall of 2003, Jared founded Jarfish Design.

Jared was born in Allentown, PA, raised in Los Altos, CA, and presently resides in Park Slope, Brooklyn.