My name is Joel Russell Huffman but most people call me Russell. I am currently the product owner for IBM Quantum’s digital education theme, leading an interdisciplinary product team of engineers, designers, writers, and quantum researchers across 6 time zones. I am trained as a product designer with over 12 years of experience, specializing in emerging technology, primarily quantum computing and artificial intelligence.
As the design lead for the Qiskit team within IBM Quantum, I lead the design of IBM Quantum’s education platform, known as the Qiskit Textbook. To date, this platform is the industry leader for learning quantum computing where we support over 50K monthly active users as well as over 1B quantum executions to date.
As a teaching assistant, my role was to assist in leading lessons for the Intro to Computational Media class of over 75 undergraduate computer science students, lead workshops outside of class, and grade papers, assignments, and projects. As a research assistant, my role was to Identify and develop platform needs and to conduct product and literature reviews of existing platforms/processes and develop supporting infrastructure that enable project studio work to proceed.
As a teaching assistant, my role was to assist in leading lessons for the Intro to Computational Media class of over 75 undergraduate computer science students, lead workshops outside of class, and grade papers, assignments, and projects. As a research assistant, my role was to Identify and develop platform needs and to conduct product and literature reviews of existing platforms/processes and develop supporting infrastructure that enable project studio work to proceed.
As an associate interpretive designer, my role was to do web development, map design, computer rendering, animation, as well as marketing and consulting new clients. Projects include national heritage areas, nature preserves, historic neighborhoods, and schools.
As a graphic designer and assistant manager, my role was to design custom apparel, consult and correspond with clientele, and manage the storefront. Work included on-the-spot graphic design for clients in Photoshop and on-the-spot printing of garments.
GPA: 4.0
Graduated Spring 2016
GPA: 3.6
Graduated Spring 2012
From 2016 to present, I have been involved in creating and disclosing inventions, which have resulted in 9 patents filed with the US patent office, including 5 quantum computing patents.
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I was invited to be a panel speaker at SxSW in 2022 by The New School's Innovation Center on a panel called "Quantum Computing for Design and Social Good" to discuss my collaboration with them on the Quantum Design Jam, an event where we introduced quantum computing to artists and designers.
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In 2022 I collaborated with AI artist Pindar Van Arman to create an artwork called Quantum Skull that was exhibited at Sotheby's. To the best of our knowledge, this was the first artwork that utilizes quantum computing to be sold at a Sotheby’s auction.
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In 2022 I completed an artwork called Teleportation Disk installed in an IBM office in New York City. The piece is the first of its kind in that it uses a real quantum computer to procedurally generate the artwork.
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Since 2020, I have built a relationship with The New School’s Innovation Center and the Parson School of Design in New York City by doing quantum computing hackathons and guest lectures. In March of 2023, I organized an art exhibition in partnership between IBM and The New School where every artwork utilizes quantum computing.
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I organized and led the Wild Ducks Playing Cards, a project where artists from around the world each illustrate a single card for a deck of cards. The project was done 3 different times over the course of 3 years, and in total included over 120 artists from over 25 countries and 6 continents.
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In late 2016 I ran a kickstarter campaign for a hand illustrated deck of cards. The project reached 100% funding in the first 24 hours and was ultimately funded over 300%.
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