Stewart Smith

Hi, I’m Stewart —
  • an award-winning
  • a patent-holding
  • a playfully innovative
  • a stubbornly empathetic
Creative Technologist,
Artist, Writer,
and Speaker.

I lead Product Design, AI & ML Strategy at Unity Technologies, leveraging wisdom accrued from my years with Google, Amazon, and Yahoo. I’ve led multi-disciplinary teams across ten time zones, presented regular briefings for C-suite executives on innovation initiatives (consistently mapping those initiatives directly onto corporate objectives), and bootstrapped novel products from zero-to-one. Although my career has been rooted in advanced technology, I’m educated as an artist—earning a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Graphic Design from Yale University. Yale’s brand of interrogative, critical design thinking continues to inform my approach across a broad array of disciplines.

As a Software Engineer, my code has featured on Google’s Search homepage, powered WebXR interactions (including LCD Soundsystem’s VR music video), open-sourced quantum circuit design (occasionally in partnership with Amazon Braket) and garnered a job offer from Meta (which I declined). I’m most comfortable in JavaScript—I’ve been approached to write a book on JS creative coding. I’m also experienced in Python, Java, Ruby, WebGL, OpenGL, C#, and Scheme / Lisp. (And let’s not discount AppleSoft BASIC.) As a Creative Technologist and Designer, my work and collaborations have won numerous Webbys, FWAs, and a Cannes Gold Lion. I filed my first machine learning patent at Yahoo for Autocompose, which predated Google Smart Reply by more than a year. I continued my interest in generative artificial intelligence at Unity with our creation and launch of Muse Chat. All of the above was facilitated by my ability to effectively communicate across disciplines and stakeholders—from senior executives, to Product Management, to Engineering, Design, Brand, Marketing, and beyond.

As an artist, my work’s been exhibited around the world—including MoMA, SFMOMA, Palais de Tokyo, la Fondation Cartier, Azkuna Zentroa, and more. (Next year I’ll have artwork in the Louvre.) I’ve completed artist residencies at the ZKM Center for Art and Media, and Yale University’s Quantum Institute. As an educator, I’ve taught graduate-level creative coding at NYU’s Interactive Telecommunication Program (ITP), and conducted design workshops / served as a guest critic at other top-tier institutions such as Harvard’s Graduate School of Design, the Royal College of Art, Central St. Martins, and the University of Art and Design, Lausanne (ÉCAL). As a writer, I’ve guested on professional blogs like AIGA’s Design Envy, and featured in tastemaker stalwarts like It’s Nice That (including an essay in INT’s premiere printed issue). As a speaker, I’ve presented at large industry events, creative agency inspiration sessions, and small grassroots meetups. I’m always excited to meet new people and learn new things, so drop me a line with an invite to speak at your next event.

My greatest strength is my ability to ingest complex new ideas and repurpose them in unexpected ways (ie. “Hacking”), which yields novel insights; fruitful for ideation and strategy. Alongside my daily work, I’ve exercised those skills as an advisor, board member, and mentor. These days I’m most passionate about leading multidisciplinary teams of immensely talented folks; leveraging my experience and leadership skills to foster growth in both individual contributors and managers. Together with my amazing colleagues I’ve contributed to Quantum Computing (QC), Artificial Intelligence (AI/ML), Spatial Computing (XR), writing, music, and more. While I have won awards and been profiled in industry outlets, what truly makes me happy is partnering with smart friends to take on the impossible—or the ridiculous.

Resumé (Yes, I place an accent only on the last ‘e’ intentionally)

Experience

Unity
Unity
Product Design, AI & ML
October 2022–Present

Leading a team of innovative designers across ten time zones to craft Unity’s latest artificial intelligence products. Anchored within Charles MigosDesign, Research, and Artistry division; supporting nascent product teams, incubating interaction research, and collaborating on long-term business strategies across organizations and disciplines in concert with senior executive stakeholders.

Head of Consumer Augmented Reality
July 2021–October 2022

Concepted tools and techniques for consumer-focused augmented reality world-building experiences.

SXSW Pitch
SXSW Pitch
Advisory Board Member
August 2023–Present

Recruiting and judging innovative technology startups for initial round of SXSW Pitch process. Nominating candidates of industry experts, high-profile media professionals, venture capital investors, and angel investors for live event panel to be held at SXSW in Austin, Texas.

Yale Quantum Institute
Artist in Residence
September 2022–August 2023

Collaborated with Yale University faculty and students to create conceptually relevant, quantum-inspired artworks for one-year artist residency—including an interactive public art installation on the New Haven Green as part of the International Festival of Arts & Ideas.

Amazon Web Services
Amazon Web Services
Senior Global Consultant Spatial Computing / Quantum Ambassador
December 2018–July 2021

Advised top-tier AWS customers on creating cloud-based XR experiences. Conceptualized and implemented innovative interfaces for quantum circuit composition.

Unity
Unity
Principal Spatial UX Designer, Unity Labs
January–November 2018

Created experiments related to spatial authoring, discovery, and consumption. Collaborated with outside artists to ideate experiences using the latest in VR and AR technology.

Moar Technologies Corp
Founder
September 2017–Present

Established corporation to push boundaries of digital creativity for quantum computing, spatial computing, and beyond. Created Quantum JavaScript (Q.js), an open-source drag-and-drop quantum circuit composer.

Google
Virtual Reality Creative Technologist, Data Arts Team
October 2016–August 2017

Ideated and developed virtual reality experiences for the immersive Web, including LCD Soundsystem’s Dance Tonite WebVR music video directed by Jonathan Puckey and Roel Wouters.

Virtual Reality Wildcard, Creative Lab
September 2015–August 2016

Collaborated across internal teams to promote strategies in Web-based virtual reality.

Yahoo
Google
Creative Technologist, Creative Lab
July 2012–October 2013

Concepted and launched two highly successful Mobile Chrome promotions: Racer, a multi-device social racing game, and Roll It, an accelerometer-based Skeeball-like game. Created the Rubik’s Cube Google Doodle and foundation for Chrome Cube Lab.

Awards

USPTO
Art Directors Club
Cannes Lions
Cannes Lions
Gold Mobile Lion in (A04) Innovative Technology for Mobile for Google Chrome Racer game, 2014.
Bronze Mobile Lion in (E02) Mobile Games: Services for Google Chrome Racer game, 2014.
Webbys
Favourite Website Awards
Short Attention Span Digital Video Festival, Audience Award winner for Jed’s Other Poem music video, 2006. Writer’s Digest National Zine Contest, Honorable Mention for Tweed Magazine, June 2001. New England Scholar for academic excellence. Victor Borge Scholarship for excellence in studio art.

Education

Yale University
University of Connecticut
University of Connecticut

Teaching

New York University, Interactive Telecommunications Program
NYU, Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP)
Adjunct Professor

Created semester graduate course, titled Visualizing JavaScript, emphasizing design and clarity of communication under sometimes humorous constraints.

Adjunct Professor

Created semester graduate course, titled Visualizing Data: Code Meets Graphic Design, mixing design critique with code development in Processing and Java.

Served as a visiting critic at esteemed institutions such as Harvard’s Graduate School of Design, the Royal College of Art, Central St. Martins, and the University of Art and Design, Lausanne (ÉCAL). Have enjoyed presenting work at top agencies, meet-ups, and professional conferences.