lloydrichards.dev

Curriculum Vitae / Data Visualization Engineer

Lloyd Richards

Data visualization engineer building D3 charts, maps, and data products people can explore.

Executive Summary

Data visualization engineer with 6+ years turning complex datasets into interactive charts, maps, and public-facing tools. I build D3 and React interfaces, shape source data for the frontend, and make dense information usable on mobile and with assistive technology.

  • Built award-winning OECD and public-sector data products with D3, React, and Next.js
  • Designed and built IPEN’s WordPress content pipeline, with a validated schema and actionable errors for editors
  • Organizes Data Visualization Zurich Meetup, a 2300+ member community

Technical Skills

D3.js, Data Visualization, TypeScript, React, Next.js, PostgreSQL, Snowflake, Data Pipelines, GraphQL, REST APIs, Design Systems

Experience

Interactive Things – Professional Interaction Engineer

Feb 2023 → Present

Fullstack developer specializing in interactive, data-centric platforms for public sector and Fortune 500 clients. Responsible for technical architecture, data pipelines, and component libraries across 8 projects with 6 clients.

  • Sole developer on the OECD Competitiveness Outlook Data Hub (1100+ pages), winning Silver at Swiss Viz Awards 2025 and German Design Award 2026
  • Collaborated with a 3-person dev team on the Cancer Monitoring Dashboard (German Design Award 2026), mentoring an intern through pair programming and code reviews
  • Refactored a legacy Fortune 500 analytics platform, redefining the domain model with data science teams and building complex Snowflake queries across a data lake serving 50-100 daily users
  • Built a shared, themeable component library used across 3 OECD applications with Tailwind CSS
  • Designed TypeScript data pipelines to transform unstructured client documents into structured datasets for D3 visualizations and CMS-driven sites

Vatorex AG. – Data Visualization Specialist

Apr 2021 → Jan 2023

Owned design and development of digital products for an IoT beekeeping platform serving 500 users and 10,000 connected hives worldwide.

  • Built a cross-platform mobile app from scratch in Flutter, replacing separate Swift and Kotlin codebases and reducing feature delivery time from months to weeks
  • Migrated backend infrastructure from per-user AWS databases to a consolidated GCP architecture with Firebase/Firestore, improving monitoring and business intelligence
  • Designed read-heavy data pipelines for daily sensor transmissions and built dashboards for both beekeepers and internal R&D teams
  • Mentored a mobile developer on Flutter/Dart while iterating on UI and backend improvements
  • Supported pivot from hobby to commercial beekeeping (20-50 clients, thousands of hives each), adapting the platform for trial cohort management

Vatorex AG. – Data Visualization Intern

Oct 2020 → Mar 2021

First design-focused hire at the company. Consolidated inconsistent interfaces across web, Swift, and Kotlin apps into a unified design system and brand.

  • Audited existing applications and created the company's first design system, unifying UI patterns across three platforms
  • Coordinated with the development team to implement consistent components, replacing ad-hoc designs built by rotating interns

Interactive Things – Data Visualization Intern

Jan 2020 → Jul 2020

Design and development internship focused on data visualization. Created static and interactive visualizations for both internal and client-facing projects.

  • Prototyped data interactions and helped transform large datasets for client-facing dashboards
  • Collaborated with both design and engineering teams for iterative releases

Lloyd Richards Design – Regenerative Garden Designer

Apr 2016 → Oct 2018

Ran an independent design-build practice specializing in ecological and permaculture-based landscape design. Managed 26 projects end-to-end from client acquisition through to construction.

  • Designed residential gardens, food forests, and community spaces using AutoCAD, producing multi-year phased plans with succession planting timelines
  • Built and delivered projects personally, coordinating with carpenters and labourers for specialized work
  • Created client-facing documentation in InDesign combining technical plans, hand-drawn renders, and data-driven timelines to communicate long-term ecological development
  • Managed all business operations including sales, marketing, invoicing, and client relationships

Key Projects

  • Competitiveness Outlook Data Hub (2024)

    Interactive data storytelling platform built using fullstack technologies. Created backend logic for scoring systems and visual data transitions.

  • Cancer Monitoring Dashboard (2024)

    Data exploration dashboard using React and D3 to visualize cancer trends in Switzerland. Implemented filtering logic, tooltips, and accessible UX patterns.

  • IPEN Plastic Map (2024)

    Built IPEN’s interactive plastic pollution map and a validated WordPress-to-frontend content pipeline with actionable errors for editors.

  • Hive Manager App (2022)

    App for helping beekeepers manage and track their bees

Education

  • Master of Architecture, Environmental Design (1 year), University of Calgary

    Sep 2012 → Apr 2013

  • Bachelor of Arts (Multidisciplinary), University of Calgary

    Sep 2006 → Apr 2011

Community & Volunteering

  • Organizer, Data Visualization Zurich MeetUp

    Oct 2023 → Present

  • Events Committee Member (2024), Outlier Conference

    Feb 2024 → Aug 2024