Matej Jan
Interaction Designer, Technical Artist, Software Engineer
Väckelsång, Sweden
+38641294739
be.net/retronator
I am a multidisciplinary interaction designer, combining coding, design, and art skills to develop interactive works. I especially love working on gaming, art, education, and music projects.
Work Experience
Retronator
Indie Game Developer
• Game and learning design, pixel art illustration, and JavaScript/CoffeeScript coding for Pixel Art Academy, an adventure game for learning how to draw.
• Browser-based UI with HTML, CSS/Stylus, Canvas, and WebGL, with a Node.js/Meteor backend.
• Custom art tools for pixel art with normal maps and automatic 3D geometry generation for dynamic lighting and global illumination.
• Additionally, participated in multiple game jams focused on rapid prototyping under a 48h deadline.
• Browser-based UI with HTML, CSS/Stylus, Canvas, and WebGL, with a Node.js/Meteor backend.
• Custom art tools for pixel art with normal maps and automatic 3D geometry generation for dynamic lighting and global illumination.
• Additionally, participated in multiple game jams focused on rapid prototyping under a 48h deadline.
December 2016
- Present
Väckelsång, Sweden
The Indie Quest
Learning Designer
• Curriculum design for programming, art asset creation, and production of independent video games.
• Writing open educational resources (OER) for a flipped classroom approach, improved and iterated through one-on-one work with students.
• Staff management, student onboarding, and maintaining full regulatory compliance with the Swedish education system.
• Writing open educational resources (OER) for a flipped classroom approach, improved and iterated through one-on-one work with students.
• Staff management, student onboarding, and maintaining full regulatory compliance with the Swedish education system.
March 2020
- Present
Väckelsång, Sweden
Stanford University
3D Visualization Specialist
• 3D visualization of flight dynamics simulation data at the Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics.
• Operated a 35-screen video wall through the administration of a Linux-based computer cluster.
• Operated a 35-screen video wall through the administration of a Linux-based computer cluster.
September 2015
- September 2016
Palo Alto, California, United States
UC Berkeley
Interaction Designer
• Design, technical illustration, and production of a digital textbook (web and iPad) about computer security.
• Web and UI design for a messaging system with advanced cryptography.
• Software development of an online system for reading and annotating research papers.
• Web and UI design for a messaging system with advanced cryptography.
• Software development of an online system for reading and annotating research papers.
March 2013
- August 2015
Berkeley, California, United States
Dawn Of Play
Lead Programmer
• Software engineering of 2 graphically-advanced mobile games for iOS.
• Created a custom Objective-C + OpenGL 3D graphics engine for iOS.
• Built a tool for automatical translation of Objective-C code to C#.
• Technical art (shaders and advanced coding) for an interactive storybook built for iPad with Unity.
• Created a custom Objective-C + OpenGL 3D graphics engine for iOS.
• Built a tool for automatical translation of Objective-C code to C#.
• Technical art (shaders and advanced coding) for an interactive storybook built for iPad with Unity.
July 2008
- February 2013
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Urban Roof
Webmaster
• Webpage design and development with C#/ASP.NET for a climbing, skate park, and dancing sports center.
• Produced an immersive web article reading experience that put the reader in the center of the action.
• Produced an immersive web article reading experience that put the reader in the center of the action.
June 2009
- September 2012
Slovenia
University Of Ljubljana
Learning Designer
• Curriculum development for a game development university course.
• Teaching assistant for the practical section of the course, focusing on mobile game development for iOS.
• Teaching assistant for the practical section of the course, focusing on mobile game development for iOS.
July 2010
- February 2011
Slovenia
Joker Magazine
Journalist
• Wrote popular science articles, explaining technically-complex topics such as artificial intelligence, autonomous driving, general programming, and graphics pipeline to the general audience.
• Wrote tutorials for creative fields such as pixel art, game modding, and indie game development.
• Wrote tutorials for creative fields such as pixel art, game modding, and indie game development.
October 2003
- October 2008
Slovenia
Agito
3D Generalist
• Worked on emerging technologies such as 3D modeling and level design for an interactive TV program where viewers control checkers pieces with a mobile phone app.
• Designed Slovenia's first virtual TV host including 3D modeling with 3ds Max and animation rigging for automatic lip-syncing.
• Designed Slovenia's first virtual TV host including 3D modeling with 3ds Max and animation rigging for automatic lip-syncing.
July 2003
- October 2006
Slovenia
3D-Level
Indie Game Developer
• Worked on numerous personal game development projects.
• Learned programming with Sinclair Basic, QBasic, VB.NET, and C#.
• Learned digital art asset creation with Photoshop and 3ds Max.
• Learned programming with Sinclair Basic, QBasic, VB.NET, and C#.
• Learned digital art asset creation with Photoshop and 3ds Max.
1998
- 2006
Slovenia
Hewlett-Packard
Summer Intern
• Contributed an image reconstruction algorithm to a system for the 3D rendering of stereoscopic camera streams.
June 2002
- August 2002
California, United States
Education
Stanford University
Master of Arts (MA), Learning, Design and Technology
• Studied learning theories with a specialization in self-directed learning and adult education.
• Studied design thinking at the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (Stanford d.school).
• Studied behavior design with the Fogg Behavior Model.
• Studied design thinking at the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (Stanford d.school).
• Studied behavior design with the Fogg Behavior Model.
September 2015
- August 2016
Palo Alto, California, United States
University Of Ljubljana
Master of Science (MS), Computer Science
• Studied object-oriented, functional, and first-order logic programming languages.
• Studied software engineering, including the full design process and data modeling.
• Specialized in game and graphics programming.
• Studied software engineering, including the full design process and data modeling.
• Specialized in game and graphics programming.
October 2003
- September 2011
Slovenia
Languages
English (Fluent),
Slovenian (Native),
Awards
Skills
3ds Max,
Animation,
Artificial Intelligence,
ASP.Net MVC,
Audacity,
Blender,
C#,
CoffeeScript,
CSS,
Curriculum Development,
Game Design,
Game Development,
Garageband,
GIMP,
Graphic Design,
HTML,
IMovie,
Inkscape,
Interaction Design,
Ios Development,
JavaScript,
JavaScript,
Keynote ,
Learning Design,
Meteor.js,
Node.js,
Objective-C,
Objective-C,
Photoshop,
Pixel Art,
Programming,
Rider,
Teaching,
Technical Illustration,
Unity,
Visual Studio,
Web Design,
Web Development,
WebGL,
WebStorm,
Writing,
Xcode,