Denis Protopopov

I am a creative developer and STEM learning experience designer driven by a passion for education, art, and making technology transparent. Over the past five years, I have developed more than 10 artistic projects that have utilized various cutting-edge technologies, such as AI, VR, and AR. I have held LX-designer positions in two edTech companies that are among the top three leaders on the CIS market (Yandex Practicum and SkillFactory).

With a background in computer science and visual arts, I have gained experience in programming and design. My work has been exhibited in various notable venues such as Ars Electronica and the Hermitage, in the form of websites, mobile apps, and games. This experience helped me develop skills that now enable me to create technologically advanced yet accessible and engaging projects.

Education is a field where I see an opportunity for actual change towards a more just and equal world. This is why, in addition to working with edTech companies, I have produced and developed two independent educational projects for artists and activists. My work in this area has been recognized, including a mention in Forbes for developing the first educational project on digital art in Russia.

Freelance Artist and Developer

2017 — now

Back in college, I utilized my development skills to create artistic projects and theater performances. I have developed websites, mobile apps, and games using JavaScript, Svelte, Three.js, Swift, and Unity.

I have also worked with video and animation, including video art and multimedia theatrical scenery made using Cinema 4D, Apple Motion, Final Cut Pro, and mapping with Resolume Arena.

I have participated in more than 10 group and 4 solo exhibitions, including performances, in Russia and internationally. As an artist, I have been invited to multiple venues to hold lectures and artist talks, including Goethe Institut, HSE Art and Design School, and Strelka Institute.

Yandex Practicum

2021 — now

Learning Experience Designer

I joined a team where I was responsible for the learning experience of five web development products. During my time here, I developed and implemented a pipeline that utilizes student behavior data to execute metric-based content refactoring, which helped to maintain a completion rate of over 50% and an employability rate of over 70%.

I also redesigned the curriculum and learning experience of two online reskilling bootcamps: "Frontend Developer" and "Fullstack Developer". Currently, I consult with the Practicum team on the learning experience of the "Soft Skills for Developers" course.

Meyerhold Center

2020 — 2022

Resident

After winning the Blackbox residency, I became a permanent resident of the Meyerhold Center, one of the most important theatrical and artistic platforms in Russia. Here, I conceptualized and directed the algorithmic theater performance "Rockets Take Off and Crash and Scatter In the Air," which successfully ran for two theatrical seasons.

During my time at the Meyerhold Center, I produced and developed the "Digital Theater Workshop," the first online course on digital arts in Russia.

I was no longer a resident of the Meyerhold Center when the theater was closed by the Russian government due to the anti-war position of its director.

SkillFactory

2020 — 2021

Learning Experience Designer for Higher Education

I joined the product team as its first member to work on a non-existent product - a service that would help established universities create online graduate programs in Data Science and Machine Learning.

I worked on creating the entire educational experience, production pipeline, core values, and principles. Together with the team, we launched the first-ever online master's program in Data Science in Russia. Besides LX-design work, I also conceptualized, designed, and coded explorable explanations and wrote the entire "Basic Linux" course as an expert.

Politics of Culture. Fundraising festival in aid of Ukrainian refugees

2022

Lecturer

I did a lecture dedicated to social prejudices in AI systems and its connections to modern wars.

HSE Art and Design School

2022

Visiting Lecturer

There was a lecture and a seminar dedicated to machine magic and electronic music in early 90s.

ai4a. Artificial Intelligence: Principles, Art and Politics

2021

Author, producer, developer

My personal educational project. It was an online lab for artists, designers, and activists, dedicated to various aspects of AI, including basic principles, biases, and social impact. I designed the course, wrote theoretical modules, and coded Jupyter Notebooks that allowed people who have never coded before to explore various ML algorithms and use them in their projects

Strelka Institute of Architecture, Media and Design

2020

Visiting Lecturer

Micro-course, dedicated to the collection of a speculative dataset.

Masters Art School

2019

Lecturer

I made a series of lectures on the history of media art.

New Media Lab (Russia)

2019

Lecturer

I held a micro-course on the use of AI in Theater Production.