Daniel Shiffman

Daniel Shiffman (born July 29, 1973) is a computer programmer, a member of the Board of Directors of the Processing Foundation,^[1] and an Associate Arts Professor at the Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP) at New York University Tisch School of the Arts.^[2] Shiffman received a BA in Mathematics and Philosophy from Yale University and a master's degree from the ITP.^[3]

Daniel Shiffman
Born	(1973-07-29) July 29, 1973 (age 51) New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.
Alma mater	Yale University, Tisch School of the Arts
Known for	Processing
Website	shiffman.net thecodingtrain.com

Early research

His early artworks Swarm #1 (2002), Swarm #2 (2002), and Swarm #3 (2004) explored algorithms to create patterns of virtual flocking birds based on Craig Reynolds’s Boids model as real-time digital brush strokes generated from live video input, producing an organic painterly effect in real time.^[4] Prior to his interests in open source and visual art, Shiffman was the producing director at P73 Productions Inc.,^[5] a small New York theater company he started with some friends from Yale.^[6]

Current work

Daniel Shiffman is currently focused on developing tutorials, examples, and libraries for Processing, the open source programming environment created by Casey Reas and Ben Fry. Shiffman runs a popular YouTube channel, The Coding Train, with instructional videos on how to program in Processing and p5.js, an open-source JavaScript library with a similar API to that of Processing.^[7] He has also taught an adaptation of his The Nature of Code book through Kadenze using p5.js.^[8]

Books

• The Nature of Code, editions
  • Using Processing - Shiffman, Daniel (2012). The Nature of Code : Simulating Natural Systems with Processing. Illustrated by Zannah Marsh. self-published. ISBN 978-0985930806. Archived from the original on 2016-03-28.
  • Using p5.js - Shiffman, Daniel (2024). Fry, Shannon (ed.). The Nature of Code : Simulating Natural Systems with JavaScript. Illustrated by Zannah Marsh. ISBN 978-1718503700.
• Learning Processing
  • Shiffman, Daniel (2008). Learning Processing : A Beginner's Guide to Programming Images, Animation, and Interaction. ISBN 9780123736024. Archived from the original on 2011-07-27.
  • Shiffman, Daniel (2015). Learning Processing : A Beginner's Guide to Programming Images, Animation, and Interaction (2nd ed.). ISBN 978-0123944436.

Papers

• Daniel Shiffman. 2004. Swarm. In ACM SIGGRAPH 2004 Emerging technologies (SIGGRAPH '04), Heather Elliott-Famularo (Ed.). ACM, New York, NY, USA, 26.^[9]
• Daniel Shiffman. 2004. Reactive. In ACM SIGGRAPH 2004 Emerging technologies (SIGGRAPH '04), Heather Elliott-Famularo (Ed.). ACM, New York, NY, USA, 22.^[10]

Press

• Hughes, Matthew. "Coding Rainbow is a gorgeous, free guide to creative software development." The Next Web Sept 2016. ^[11]
• Schwendener, Martha. "Populism, Technology and Interactivity: Review." New York Times, Lateition (East Coast) ed.: NJ.13. 2011.^[12]
• Fox, Catherine. "Artistic Leap Savannah Museum Gets High-Profile Addition: Main Edition." The Atlanta Journal - Constitution: G.1. 2006.
• Bayliss, Sarah. "What if Jackson Pollock were a PC?" New York Times, Lateition (East Coast) ed.: 2.41. 2003.^[13]
• Marriott, Michel. "I Don't Know Who You are, but You're Toast." The New York Times 1998.