This site documents student work from Yury Gitman’s courses at Parsons School of Design, School of Art, Media, and Technology. Posts span from 2008 through 2013, capturing projects in physical computing, wireless toy design, and creative technology.
About Yury Gitman
Yury has taught at Parsons since 2003—first as a working artist, then as a product designer, and now as an open-source hardware developer. Throughout, he’s had the pleasure of teaching Major Studio, Physical Computing, Wireless Toy Design, Web Basics, Mobile App Development, Making Wireless Toys, and Toy Concept Development.
After graduate school at NYU’s ITP, he was an Artist-in-Residence at Eyebeam and received the Ars Electronica Golden Nica for Net Vision. That work led to Banana Design Lab (2005–2015), where he created products like My Beating Heart—a plush toy that mimics a human heartbeat to induce calm. In 2011, he co-founded World Famous Electronics and created PulseSensor, an open-source heart rate sensor now used in classrooms, makerspaces, and research labs worldwide.
His work has appeared in Newsweek, New York Times, BBC, CNN, Discovery Channel, and the Wall Street Journal.
Degrees: MPS, Interactive Telecommunication Program, New York University (2002). BS, Technology and Culture, Georgia Institute of Technology (1999).
Recent Publication: Heartbeat Sensor Projects with PulseSensor: Prototyping with Arduino and Pulse Sensor Amped. Yury Gitman & Joel Murphy. Apress, 2023.
Current Courses at Parsons (Spring 2026)
Making Wireless Toys
Play invites us to suspend judgment and logic, entering a “magic bubble” where joy and experimentation reign. In this course, we prototype wireless electronic toys, treating them as interfaces for open-ended play experiences. Electronic toys represent a compelling intersection of interaction design, physical computing, and playful expression. We survey the history and current state of the toy industry, learn strategies for developing and playtesting prototypes, and work with motors, lights, sensors, and speakers. We use 3D design and printing to rapidly prototype enclosures and characters. In the first half, the instructor guides you through building a personalized Tamagotchi-style electronic toy; in the second half, you design and build your own original wireless toy prototype.
Graduate level · 3 credits · In-Person · Parsons School of Design, AMT · New York City
Toy Concept Development & Design
Illustration is broadening its definition and toys are an exciting new frontier—a dynamic nexus incorporating character design, product design, sculpture, and narrative. A successful designer toy resonates with the artist’s personal inner vision while presenting consumers with a fresh visual language. This course exposes students to this frontier by working closely with a guest instructor at the forefront of the market. From vinyl to plush, students explore inventive toy solutions while engaging with technical drawing, manufacturing, and marketing, working toward a final three-dimensional model of their original toy.
Undergraduate level · 3 credits · In-Person · Parsons School of Design, AMT · New York City
Contact
Yury Gitman
Part-time Assistant Professor, Parsons School of Design
School of Art, Media, and Technology
66 West 12th Street, New York, NY 10011
gitmany@newschool.edu