Dave Skuratowicz
Design, Leadership, Innovation, AI, 3D
For over two decades, I have led product design teams in strategizing and creating communication and collaboration products for BlueJeans by Verizon, Google, Apple, and 6Connex.
For the last six years, I have led cross-company initiatives to make virtual interactions more and more immersive with emerging technologies like AI, 3D AR, spatial audio, and volumetric humans. When I started at BlueJeans, I led a collaboration with data science, PM, and engineering teams in establishing our research, testing, and analytics programs.
I have been re-creating humans in 3D and virtual space for over twenty years using systems like photogrammetry, depth sensors, and most recently NeRF to create 3D models. I also concepted and built a 3D scanning rig as a personal project.
As a leader, I strive to bring out the best in people and teams and to cultivate a highly collaborative, inspired, inclusive work environment.
Social Adventure Game - Personal Project
When the world was in quarantine, my brother and I created an immersive 3D environment that enabled family members to choose from a library of pop culture avatars, talk and message in real time, do a scavenger hunt, and explore an alternate world together.
Auto Camera Framing
Worked with Dolby to determine the software and hardware specifics in automatically finding, framing, focusing, and zooming on people using Rooms software. Also designed this feature for BlueJeans Meetings and Apple Cinema mode.
Snap Camera
Before we implemented our own virtual backgrounds, I built a custom lens using Lens Studio. It was shared with the Snap community and used for internal events.
Python & CNN
For six years, I have deeply immersed myself in the most recent AI technologies and trends in AI applications. I taught myself enough about Python and CNNs to set up AI environments and create small programs to try out new AI capabilities, such as simple image recognition and image categorization.
NeRF
For two decades, I have researched and implemented a great variety of technologies for transforming humans into 3D, most recently NeRF.
AI - BlueJeans & Personal Projects
I am at the forefront of exploring and implementing AI at Verizon. I promote, educate, and recruit people throughout the company to collaborate using AI to create product features and improvements in innovative and useful ways.
3d Scanner - Personal Project
In 2011, I concepted and built my own 28-camera spherical 3D scanning rig that took photos within .01 seconds of one another. It captured a neutral pose for the base model and keyframe motion poses to define the animation style.
Meetings
Led a company-wide collaboration in completely rebuilding the UX for our flagship product, which raised user satisfaction scores from 79% to 95%. Over the years, we have evolved the product significantly with extensions like Remote Learning and Telehealth and by using computer vision for auto face-framing and virtual backgrounds. Currently working to enhance video quality with CV.
Rooms
Partnered with Dolby to integrate BlueJeans into their hardware as part of the OS installation for our room system. Consulted with Dolby regarding echo canceling, background noise repression, spatial audio, and CV for face-framing.
BlueJeans by Verizon
I am currently leading UX for our entire ecosystem of communication and collaboration products. Since my first day at BlueJeans, I have been at the forefront of our initiatives to utilize emerging technologies like AI, AR, and 3D, in both our products and processes. We were acquired in 2020.
BlueJeans Spaces
Better Than Being There
Spaces is a virtual office that gives users the feeling and collaboration benefits of working alongside one another. We made it immersive with spatial audio, 2D & 3D, personalization, branding, messaging, and a library of 3D avatars and environments.
BlueJeans AR
Meetings for Google Glass and Vuzix
Built AR-powered BlueJeans Meetings app to give users a wearable, hands-free way to work together. It lets users spotlight their point of view using voice activation to zoom in/out and adjust brightness. We also included noise suppression and explored making it more immersive with hand gesture controls and 3D annotation.
_svg.png)
Apple: First Retail Store
Led creation of all digital experiences for the first Apple retail store and over 100 subsequent stores. Working with Steve Jobs laid the groundwork for my design thinking and how I build space in the virtual world.
6Connex: Virtual Events
Co-founded this company that provided one of the first virtual experience platforms for hosting events in a pre-rendered 3D environment. It included video, messaging, document sharing, personalization, and a detailed analytics system.
Verizon: Volumetric Humans
Integrated 3D humans into virtual meetings. Used a multi-camera rig that scanned people head-to-toe, 360 degrees and sent them over BlueJeans Meetings in real-time.
Avaya: Virtual Spokesperson
Led team in creating this virtual spokesperson avatar that used facial capture for its presentations.
Immersive Products and Experiences
From early on, I designed my career so that I would be prepared for the time when technology enables us to create experiences as immersive and personal as reality. I have prepared by leading creative and strategic teams, collecting and using data to direct UX/design decisions, and keeping educated about the latest technologies and then applying them to products in innovative and useful ways. Below are some of the products and experiences that got me where I am today (from earliest to most recent).
Product Metrics
Initiated and led creation of system for analyzing and utilizing over five million end-of-meeting surveys per year. It automates highlighting of the most important feedback.
Effectiveness Analyzation
Collect and analyze data from various testing methods to assess the effectiveness of new features and processes, and to determine whether they should be continued or fine-tuned.
Online Testing
Collect qualitative and quantitative data by utilizing products such as User Testing, Usabilityhub, and Google Forms for A/B testing, click flows, and fast feedback.
User Interviews
Asking a variety of users strategic questions and observing them interacting with the product has shown to be an incredibly effective way to assess user wants, needs, emotions, and intuitive understanding of product UX.
Research and Testing
When I started at BlueJeans, I led collaboration with data science, PM, and engineering teams in establishing our qualitative and quantitavie research, testing, and analytics programs.