Max Duval

Building fast, accessible & resilient websites since 2007. Design-forward developer with a knack for geospatial data visualisation. Translating complex data into user-friendly dashboards that retain users. Thriving in high-traffic and business-critical environments. Fostering professional growth through mentorship and knowledge sharing.

Web Tech Lead - Hometrack - London

(2024-01)

Hired to lead the creation and launch of Data Hub, a new flagship product providing users with rich geospatial insights of the UK Property market. Successfully retired legacy products while achieving 90%+ customer renewal. Created reusable components for data visualisation & extraction based on D3 and React. Won team & individual awards for outstanding performance every year.

• Coached technical and non-technical colleagues to create instant proofs-of-concept using AI, reducing build time to test new ideas
• Met stringent fintech audits – OWASP, WCAG & GDPR
• Lowered dataset ingestion timelines from years to weeks
• Set up Web guild to align practices and share patterns
• Folded AI agents into daily workflows to break up code changes so that they are easier for colleagues to review and reduce dependency on unmaintained external open-source projects
• Assessed feature priority against user feedback & business value
• Documented APIs centrally for humans & bots, preventing drift
• Technical lead on business growth opportunities & bids
• 50× performance improvement on spatial queries
• 3× faster continuous integration & deployments

Senior Software Engineer - Guardian News & Media - London

(2020-01 - 2024-01)

Delivered news to millions of readers daily. Worked in several cross-functional teams encompassing design, product, data analysis, user support and editorial stakeholders.

• Unified global timezone display & synchronisation on Web + App
• Reduced digital exclusion by designing for low-performance devices
• Improved standardisation of tools, code style and documentation. Read more on "Standardisation: the merit of consistent patterns"
• Introduced AVIF images, addressing a major user complain on image quality while reducing overall bandwidth by ~6%
• Rebuilt the internal Web analytics tool to enable developers to contribute new features: a strategic tool for knowing our users
• Halved deployment times, which increased team cadence, engineering confidence and stakeholder satisfaction
• Integrated with region-specific ad partners

Full Stack Developer - MXDVL - London, Montréal & Tōkyō

(2007-01 - 2020-01)

Combining my architecture and engineering background, I offered services ranging from fully designed and managed websites to transitioning away from legacy platforms.

• Ensured GDPR compliance with privacy-focussed analytics
• Implemented geolocation and custom interactive maps with Leaflet
• Enabled online payment with Stripe
• Deployed hybrid cloud and local storage solutions

Architectural Designer - Allies and Morrison - London

(2018-01 - 2020-01)

Building information modelling (BIM) lead. Developed internal tooling workflow, oversaw data exchange with consultants and advised on technical improvements to the company website.

• Built testing tools for key project metrics using Grasshopper, ranging from sustainability to unit mix
• Leveraged BIM to deliver project documentation on tight deadlines and trained the team throughout, exceeding client expectations
• Automated documentation of parts and materials, leading to significant reduction in manual input and error rate

Architectural Designer - Florian Busch Architects - Tōkyō

(2017-01 - 2018-01)

Led technical initiatives including data-driven designs, an internal wiki and a public facing website for the practice.

• Developed GIS tools for development of a ski resort in Hokkaido
• Produced pictures of an alternative 2020 Tokyo Olympic stadium, which was published in The Japan Times and ReThink Tokyo
• Built complex digital generative and data-driven models. Taught scripting training sessions to fellow colleagues and improved workflow

Master of Architecture - Architecture - McGill University (2011-01 - 2015-01)

Bachelor of Arts - Arts - UQAM (2008-01 - 2011-01)