About Jeff Szuc

Jeff Szuc (born Jeffrey Szuchopa in Montreal, Canada) is a Canadian artist, designer, and software engineer recognized for his early-career work as an award-winning illustrator and gallery painter, and for his later contributions to web design and educational game development. His most impactful software work includes the educational games Flap to the Future and BeastBox, which have reached millions of users through the BrainPop platform. Szuc is distinguished by his ability to integrate technical implementation with user experience (UX) design, leveraging over 15 years of design and development experience to create accessible, intuitive, and visually compelling digital products.

Early Life and Education

Jeff Szuc was raised in Toronto, Ontario. As a creative youth in the early to mid-nineties, Szuc was involved in the Toronto graffiti scene and made a name for himself through his mark-making proclivity. His work was featured at the 416, and the Concrete Canvas graffiti expos, as well as in contemporary gallery shows. The ephemeral nature of graffiti meant most of his pieces were transient, with only one known to still exist. This early, unconventional artistic pursuit proved pivotal, influencing his later product design work where the goal is widespread user adoption and a strong "overall aesthetic". Szuc acknowledges that graffiti was instrumental in guiding him towards formal art school and opening doors to other artistic avenues.

His involvement in urban art led to his acceptance into the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD). Szuc graduated from OCAD with a Certificate of Association in Illustration in 2001. During this period, he was an award-winning student illustrator, receiving the OCAD Medal for Illustration, the Herb McCarthy Scholarship for excellence in illustration, the OPSEU Scholarship, the Robin Comyn Cumine Scholarship, and the Nora E. Vaughan Award. OCAD Medals are awarded for achievement in each program major at the fourth-year level through a juried competition. His illustration work was also recognized in Applied Arts magazine's 2001 illustration awards annual. He later returned to OCAD, earning a Bachelor of Design in 2007.

In 2022, Szuc relocated to Worcester, Massachusetts, and pursued further education at Boston University, earning a Master of Science in Software Development in 2024. His master's studies focused on backend development, project planning, software design patterns, advanced Java programming, enterprise database design, systems analysis, machine learning, and computer vision. The curriculum emphasized modern technologies and methodologies like Agile and DevOps, preparing him to deliver secure, reliable software products and lead agile teams.

Career

Early Career (Art and Design)

Szuc's professional career began in fine art and illustration. In 2000, he began using the professional name Jeff Szuc to enhance memorability for his burgeoning career as a painter and illustrator. Immediately after graduation, he commenced exhibiting his paintings in galleries such as Wagner Rosenbaum Gallery, Galerie Baliz, and O'Connor Gallery. He also participated in group exhibitions with the Ontario Society of Painters. Notably, he held a one-man show titled "Will You B My FBF?" at the O'Connor Gallery in Toronto, which ran from April 14th to May 10th. This exhibition explored the "superficiality of online communities and friendships".

During his time as an illustrator in Toronto, Szuc also contributed significantly to children's literature and editorial work. He illustrated My Kind of Sad (2006) by Kate Scowen, published by Annick Press, a book aimed at helping teenagers understand mental health issues. He also illustrated the four-book "Have You Ever Seen...?" series by Eta Kanner, published by Kids Can Press: Have You Ever Seen a Duck in a Raincoat? (2009), Have You Ever Seen an Octopus with a Broom? (2009), Have You Ever Seen a Stork Build a Log Cabin? (2010), and Have You Ever Seen a Hippo Wearing Sun Screen? (2010). This series was later published in Taiwanese and distributed in Taiwan, and a pocketbook-sized format was notably distributed in McDonald's Happy Meals in 2018.

In 2011, Szuc relocated to Ithaca, New York, where he shifted focus to graphic design, and ultimately, to web design and development. Initially focusing on brand creation, his interest in web development evolved from his design background and a persistent desire for greater control over the final digital product. This practice of continuous learning of new and evolving technologies is a theme that runs throughout Szuc's career. His initial portfolio of work primarily included developing WordPress sites using PHP, HTML, and CSS. As web technology advanced, Szuc developed a profound interest in User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) design and development, acquiring proficiency in frameworks such as JQuery, Angular, Vue, and React.

Software Engineering

Szuc's transition into software engineering was a natural evolution, spurred by opportunities to take core computer science courses (programming, advanced algorithms, mathematics) as well as studies in statistics, data science, and UX research through Cornell's continuing education program. This foundational learning, culminating in his Master's in Software Development, solidified his shift to a dedicated software engineering career.

Currently, Szuc operates as a full-stack software engineer, specializing in bridging the gap between technical implementation and user experience design. This role leverages his extensive experience in both product design and full-stack development, enabling him to architect robust, user-centric solutions. His professional philosophy is deeply rooted in the belief that "design thinking methodologies add value to every phase of the software development life-cycle," ensuring clear end-goals, building effective roadmaps, maintaining agile development processes, and evaluating successes through data-driven criteria. His technical proficiency spans front-end (HTML5, CSS, JavaScript ES6+), back-end (PHP, node.js), and development and deployment processes.

Cornell Lab of Ornithology

As a User Experience (UX) Designer and Lead Software Engineer at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Szuc has played an instrumental role in the development of several significant educational digital platforms. The interactive platforms he has designed include:

  • Bird Academy (2013): He created the brand identity and designed and implemented the frontend for this e-learning platform, which delivers ornithological education to lifelong learners.
  • Flap to the Future (2017): For this platform runner-style game, conceptualized to educate users on the evolution of flight from dinosaur adaptations, Szuc contributed to level artwork, character design, animation, and the user interface. He was responsible for the overall aesthetic, content flow, and animated interactive user-interfaces, and also created the title, background, and character illustrations. The game allows players to experience flight evolution from a dinosaur (Tawa) to a gliding Microraptor, then an American Robin, and finally a futuristic bird, integrating scientific debates about flight evolution. It is featured on BrainPOP's Game Up and is supported by an accompanying K-12 lesson plan, aligning with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and Common Core State Standards (ELA).
  • BeastBox (2018): Inspired by the work of beatboxer Ben Mirin, this interactive music application enables users to combine beatbox loops with animal sound clips. Szuc designed the interface with an 80s aesthetic, created character artwork, directed animation, and engineered interactive UI elements. This project is notable for its commitment to accessibility, surpassing standard guidelines by implementing a keyboard-based, description-only interface for screen readers, thereby providing a comprehensive experience for non-sighted users. The project's aesthetic and thematic elements drew upon Szuc's background in hip-hop and graffiti culture. Beastbox is valuable in classrooms for teaching biodiversity and music composition, and is also featured on BrainPOP with K-12 curriculum resources.
  • Wall of Birds Interactive (2016): This online feature allows users to explore the magnificent 2,500-square-foot Wall of Birds mural located at the Cornell Lab's visitor center. Szuc's work on this project encompasses the overall aesthetic, content flow, and animated interactive user-interfaces. The interactive serves as a digital extension of the physical mural, designed to carry its educational message far beyond the physical confines of the visitor center.  
  • All About Bird Anatomy (2016): This interactive learning tool from the Cornell Lab enables users to explore over 100 bird parts across 11 anatomical systems. It features interactive functions for building a virtual bird, customizing views, learning part descriptions, practicing pronunciation, and quizzing oneself. Szuc designed and implemented the user interface for this application.

The strategic partnership between Cornell Lab's Bird Academy and BrainPOP's Game Up significantly extends the reach and impact of Szuc's educational designs. BrainPOP is an educational website that reaches millions of students annually in classrooms across the U.S., used in two-thirds of U.S. school districts and reaching an estimated 25 million students annually. This collaboration with a major educational platform amplifies the educational value and reach of his work.

Personal Life

Jeff Szuc is married to Natasha Binek, a Professor of Classics. He is an avid long-distance runner, having successfully completed marathons including Toronto, Detroit, Philadelphia, and Mohawk Valley (Albany), with finishes around, and under, four hours. Reflecting an evolution of his early graffiti origins, Szuc also dedicates time to painting community murals.

Bibliography

  • Scowen, Kate. My Kind of Sad. Illustrated by Jeff Szuc. Annick Press, 2006.
  • Kanner, Eta. Have You Ever Seen a Duck in a Raincoat?. Illustrated by Jeff Szuc. Kids Can Press, 2009.
  • Kanner, Eta. Have You Ever Seen an Octopus with a Broom?. Illustrated by Jeff Szuc. Kids Can Press, 2009.
  • Kanner, Eta. Have You Ever Seen a Stork Build a Log Cabin?. Illustrated by Jeff Szuc. Kids Can Press, 2010.
  • Kanner, Eta. Have You Ever Seen a Hippo Wearing Sun Screen?. Illustrated by Jeff Szuc. Kids Can Press, 2010.

Presentations

  • 2008: Beyond OCAD Lecture Series  
  • 2017: Connected Learning Summit at MIT  
  • 2018: Connected Learning Summit at MIT  

References