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About This Book

Welcome from Palette

Welcome to The Art of Processing!

Palette waving welcome Welcome, fellow artists and creators! I'm Palette, your guide on this creative coding journey. Whether you're blending your very first color palette or choreographing complex particle swarms, I'll be here with tips, insights, and encouragement every step of the way. Grab your digital stylus—it's time to color outside the loops!

Why and How This Book Was Created

Dan McCreary has been writing blogs and articles on the use of Generative AI in education since GPT-3 was released in 2020. See Grading GPT-3 For STEM Lesson Plan Content Generation, published in January 2021 on Medium.

In November 2023, Dan conducted a formal interview with Val Lockhart on using ChatGPT to generate p5.js programs: Micro-Simulations for Education.

Dan started writing outlines for this book in 2023, but his focus temporarily shifted toward automating the instructional design process. He began using MicroSims to predict concept mastery through event stream analytics and actionable knowledge graph representations.

Although the outlines have evolved, the core concept of using p5.js as an educational tool to teach computational thinking remains the same. What has changed is the quality of the tools available to generate MicroSims from learning objectives. Dan used both Claude and ChatGPT to create over 130 textbooks, refining the process of authoring an intelligent textbook. This is fundamentally achieved by creating detailed agent skills used to generate all textbook artifacts, including the Learning Graph.

This book represents a milestone. It is the first textbook to use Google's Antigravity Desktop tool to aid in the book creation process. Previously, Google LLMs did not reliably follow the complex rules in AI skill files. However, by continually writing better content generation guides, Dan has finally managed to get Google LLMs to adhere to these rigorous standards. This book is the first product of this research.

Why This Intelligent Textbook

Computer science education is at a critical inflection point. For decades, introductory programming has been taught through abstract console outputs, rigid syntax memorization, and text-only exercises that fail to engage visual and creative thinkers. Creative coding with p5.js turns this paradigm on its head by transforming abstract algorithms into immediate visual, auditory, and interactive media. Yet, educators and learners frequently lack structured, concept-mapped curriculum materials that systematically bridge the gap between creative visual expression and rigorous computational thinking.

In the United States:

  • The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects computer and information technology occupations to grow significantly faster than the average for all occupations through 2033, adding hundreds of thousands of new STEM openings annually1.
  • According to the Code.org State of Computer Science Education report, while 57.5% of public high schools offer foundational computer science courses, significant equity and engagement gaps persist, particularly among female and underrepresented minority students2.
  • The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Technology and Engineering Literacy assessment reveals that fewer than 46% of eighth-grade students perform at or above proficient levels in algorithmic problem-solving and systems thinking3.

Worldwide:

  • The World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report ranks analytical thinking, creative thinking, and technological literacy among the top core skills demanded by global employers4.
  • UNESCO reports that digital literacy and computational fluency are now integrated into the national educational frameworks of over 85 countries, yet less than a third provide accessible, interactive open-access digital learning tools for classroom adoption5.

These statistics represent millions of learners who need more than static code syntax—they need the cognitive and creative tools to reason about complex systems, visualize mathematics, and express ideas interactively.

The Art of Processing takes a fundamentally different approach. It is built on a validated learning graph of 600 interconnected concepts organized into rigorous prerequisite dependencies. Concepts are sequenced so understanding builds organically from canvas fundamentals to 3D WebGL graphics and live microphone FFT audio analysis. Throughout the textbook, students interact with 21 browser-based MicroSims that allow them to manipulate parameters, isolate variables, and develop intuition before writing code. The entire textbook is open source and free—no paywalls, no access codes, and no proprietary platforms.

How to Use This Book

This textbook is designed for both self-paced learners and classroom instruction. Each chapter builds upon prerequisites established in earlier modules. The textbook includes:

  • 25 Comprehensive Chapters spanning 2D primitives, color models, transformations, physics simulations, mobile touch gestures, DOM UI components, 3D WebGL shaders, audio synthesis, live FFT spectral processing, and computer science pedagogy.
  • 21 Interactive MicroSims embedded throughout chapters—interactive sandboxes, canvas inspectors, harmonic oscillators, particle engines, and audio labs.
  • Formative Chapter Quizzes with immediate feedback and pedagogical explanations aligned to Bloom's Revised Taxonomy.
  • Annotated References curated with authoritative sources, historical context, and Wikipedia foundations.
  • Comprehensive Glossary with ISO 11179-compliant definitions for every core concept.
  • Curated FAQ addressing conceptual hurdles and practical troubleshooting tips.
  • Interactive Learning Graph visualizing 600 concepts and their prerequisite pathways.

To explore how concepts connect across the curriculum or to trace prerequisite chains, visit the Learning Graph.

About the Author

Dan McCreary is a semi-retired AI researcher, solution architect, and educator who has spent more than three decades helping Fortune 100 organizations model, reason over, and visualize massive datasets. At Optum, Dan founded the Generative AI Center of Excellence and led the team that built one of the world's largest enterprise healthcare knowledge graphs—spanning over 25 billion vertices—to unify member, provider, and clinical insights.

Dan has been actively using p5.js paired with generative AI for over three years to pioneer prompt-driven simulation design, develop visual learning aids, and create scalable intelligent educational content. His deep background in knowledge representation, graph theory, and cognitive scaffolding underpins the precise learning graphs and intelligent textbook architectures used throughout this book.

He is the co-author of Making Sense of NoSQL (Manning Publications), the founding chair of the NoSQL Now! conference, and a frequent keynote speaker on semantic search, knowledge graphs, and AI hardware acceleration. Since 2014, Dan has served as a dedicated STEM volunteer mentor, teaching computational thinking, robotics, and creative coding to hundreds of students. He is the creator and co-creator of over 87 intelligent textbooks available in the Intelligent Textbooks Case Studies catalog.

Selected Credentials & Background

  • B.A. in Physics and Computer Science from Carleton College
  • M.S.E.E. from the University of Minnesota
  • MBA coursework at the University of St. Thomas
  • Founder, Generative AI Center of Excellence (Optum)
  • Patent holder in semantic search and ontology management architectures
  • Co-author of Making Sense of NoSQL (Manning Publications)
  • Active STEM education volunteer and mentor since 2014

Acknowledgements & Research Foundation

This textbook is built upon foundational research into AI-generated educational simulations and the next generation of digital learning tools.

The author extends grateful acknowledgement and sincere appreciation to Valerie (Val) Lockhart and Troy A. Peterson for their invaluable collaboration, pedagogical insights, and partnership in developing the theoretical and practical frameworks for interactive, AI-assisted learning.

This work directly operationalizes the methodologies published in the following foundational papers:

1. MicroSims: A Framework for AI-Generated Simulations

Lockhart, V., McCreary, D., & Peterson, T. A. (2025). MicroSims: A Framework for AI-Generated, Scalable Educational Simulations with Universal Embedding and Adaptive Learning Support. arXiv:2511.19864 [cs.HC].
Paper URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.19864

This paper formalizes the architectural specifications, prompt generation pipelines, and universal embedding standards for MicroSims—lightweight, self-contained, interactive simulation widgets that dynamically adapt to student learning needs without LMS lock-in.

2. A Five-Level Classification Framework for Intelligent Textbooks

McCreary, D. (2025). A Five-Level Classification Framework for Intelligent Textbooks: Lessons from Autonomous Vehicle Standards. Intelligent Textbooks Research Group.
Paper URL: https://github.com/dmccreary/intelligent-textbooks/blob/main/papers/five-levels

This paper adapts SAE International's automated driving levels (J3016) to establish a rigorous six-tier taxonomy (Levels 0 through 5) for intelligent textbooks. Under this framework, The Art of Processing operates as a Level 3/4 Intelligent Textbook, incorporating structured learning graphs, interactive micro-simulations, embedded concept glossaries, and automated pedagogical agent scaffolding.

How to Cite This Book

If you reference this textbook in academic work, curriculum proposals, syllabi, or educational research, please use one of the following citation formats:

APA (7th edition)

McCreary, D. (2026). The Art of Processing: Creative Coding, Computational Thinking, and Interactive Media with p5.js. https://dmccreary.github.io/p5-textbook/

Chicago (17th edition)

McCreary, Dan. 2026. The Art of Processing: Creative Coding, Computational Thinking, and Interactive Media with p5.js. https://dmccreary.github.io/p5-textbook/.

MLA (9th edition)

McCreary, Dan. The Art of Processing: Creative Coding, Computational Thinking, and Interactive Media with p5.js. 2026, dmccreary.github.io/p5-textbook.

BibTeX

@book{mccreary2026processing,
  title     = {The Art of Processing: Creative Coding, Computational Thinking, and Interactive Media with p5.js},
  author    = {McCreary, Dan},
  year      = {2026},
  url       = {https://dmccreary.github.io/p5-textbook/},
  note      = {Interactive intelligent textbook with learning graph and MicroSims}
}

To cite a specific chapter, use the chapter title and URL:

McCreary, D. (2026). Chapter 1: Introduction to Creative Coding & Canvas Foundations. In The Art of Processing. https://dmccreary.github.io/p5-textbook/chapters/01-intro-creative-coding/

License

This work is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).

You are free to:

  • Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format.
  • Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material.

Under the following terms:

  • Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made.
  • NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes without explicit permission.
  • ShareAlike — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original.

References

  1. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2024). Computer and Information Technology Occupations: Occupational Outlook Handbook. U.S. Department of Labor. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/home.htm ↩

  2. Code.org, CSTA, & ECEP Alliance. (2024). 2024 State of Computer Science Education: Understanding Our National Ecosystem. https://advocacy.code.org/stateofcs ↩

  3. National Center for Education Statistics. (2022). The Nation's Report Card: Technology and Engineering Literacy (TEL) Assessment. Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/tel/ ↩

  4. World Economic Forum. (2023). The Future of Jobs Report 2023. World Economic Forum, Geneva. https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-future-of-jobs-report-2023/ ↩

  5. UNESCO. (2024). Global Education Monitoring Report: Technology in Education — A Tool on Whose Terms? UNESCO Publishing, Paris. https://www.unesco.org/gem-report/en/technology ↩