CRAIG RICHARDS
Principal Technical Consultant
Chester-le-Street, Co Durham, UK
GitHub: https://github.com/untiedshoes
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/untiedshoes/
### PROFILE
For almost 30 years I've helped organisations turn ideas into successful digital platforms that solve real business problems. I combine deep technical expertise with a pragmatic, commercially minded approach, working closely with clients to understand what they're trying to achieve before helping them shape, build and evolve solutions that provide long-term value.
Much of my career has involved working with organisations from the earliest stages of a project, helping define the technical direction, scope the initial solution and create platforms from the ground up. I've been fortunate to build long-term relationships with clients ranging from small businesses to global brands, guiding many of those platforms through years of continuous growth and evolution as their businesses changed.
I enjoy working with both technical and non-technical stakeholders, explaining complex ideas in straightforward language and helping people feel confident in the decisions they're making. Whether I'm running discovery workshops, shaping solution architecture or getting hands-on with implementation, my aim is always the same: solve the problem well, make technology work for the business and leave the client feeling supported throughout the process.
Every project is different, and that's one of the things I enjoy most about consultancy. I enjoy understanding how a business works, exploring different approaches with the people involved and finding practical solutions that balance commercial priorities with sound engineering principles. The best technical solution isn't always the most complicated one—it's the one that best supports the business, the people using it and the team responsible for maintaining it.
My experience spans consultancy, digital agencies, enterprise organisations and the public sector, with projects delivered for clients including Deloitte, NEC, Lotus F1 Team, British Olympic Association, Dulux, AEG, Co-op, Ryobi, SCS Sofas and Coventry College. Alongside my consultancy work, I maintain several open-source .NET projects, helping me stay current with modern engineering practices while ensuring the advice I give clients remains grounded in hands-on engineering experience.
### TECHNICAL SKILLS
Backend: C#, .NET (Framework → .NET 10), ASP.NET Core, Web API, EF Core
Frontend: React, Next.js, TypeScript / JavaScript, Bootstrap, HTML5, CSS3, SASS
Cloud & DevOps: Azure, Docker, Terraform, CI/CD (GitHub Actions), IIS
Data: SQL Server (performance tuning, indexing, query optimisation)
Architecture: Clean Architecture, REST APIs, distributed systems
Testing: xUnit, NUnit, Moq, TDD
Platforms: Umbraco (including headless/hybrid implementations & uSkinned), nopCommerce (multi-tenant architecture, deep customisation, performance optimisation)
Tools: Visual Studio, VS Code, CLI tooling, Git, GitHub, Azure DevOps
AI-Assisted Engineering: ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot, Claude — used to accelerate API design, prototyping, refactoring, and test generation, with outputs validated for production-quality implementation
### PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Principal Technical Consultant (.NET & Digital Platforms)
Untiedshoes (Independent Consultancy) • 1998 – Present
Over nearly three decades I've learned that successful projects rarely start with technology - they start with understanding the business. Whether I'm working with a business owner, project manager or development team, I begin by understanding what they're trying to achieve before helping them decide on the most appropriate technical approach.
As the founder of Untiedshoes, I've spent more than 25 years working directly with organisations of all sizes, building long-term relationships based on trust, collaboration and honest advice. My role has always been a blend of consultant, solution architect and hands-on engineer, guiding projects from the earliest conversations through to delivery, ongoing support and long-term platform evolution.
I work closely with clients to turn ideas into practical technical solutions, balancing commercial priorities with sound engineering principles. That might mean leading discovery workshops, shaping solution architecture, modernising legacy platforms, mentoring development teams or simply helping clients understand the options available so they can make informed decisions with confidence.
### Key Responsibilities & Achievements
• Act as the primary technical adviser for clients across consultancy, agency, enterprise and public-sector engagements.
• Run discovery workshops, gather requirements and translate business objectives into practical technical roadmaps.
• Design solution architectures for bespoke .NET, CMS, eCommerce and API-driven platforms.
• Advise clients on technology selection, cloud infrastructure, integrations, scalability, security and long-term platform strategy.
• Lead the complete software delivery lifecycle, from initial planning and architecture through development, deployment, optimisation and ongoing support.
• Work alongside designers, developers, project managers and stakeholders to ensure solutions remain aligned with both technical and commercial objectives.
• Build long-term client relationships, providing trusted technical guidance as platforms evolve and businesses grow.
• Continue to work hands-on where it adds value, maintaining a strong understanding of modern .NET engineering practices and emerging technologies.
Open Source & Technical Portfolio
Alongside my consultancy work, I maintain an active GitHub portfolio that reflects how I approach software engineering, solution design and developer experience. It includes production-quality SDKs, reusable libraries and reference implementations, while helping me stay current with modern .NET development and bring practical, hands-on experience into every client engagement.
#### Selected Engagements undertaken through UntiedShoes
Eureka Golf Ltd - Lead Technical Consultant
2012 - Present
When I first started working with Eureka Golf, the business had virtually no online presence or digital marketing strategy. Working directly with the business owners over a long-term partnership, I helped define the technical direction for their online growth, designing and building a bespoke eCommerce platform from the ground up while supporting the wider digital strategy as the business expanded.
As the company's primary technical adviser, I worked closely with stakeholders to understand commercial priorities, recommend practical technical solutions and continuously evolve the platform as the business grew. Over more than a decade, the platform has been modernised from ASP.NET MVC to ASP.NET Core, introducing new capabilities, improving performance and supporting increasingly complex business processes without disrupting day-to-day operations.
Key Contributions:
• Designed and developed a bespoke .NET eCommerce platform from the ground up, supporting the company's move into online retail.
• Helped shape the long-term technical roadmap, aligning platform investment with commercial growth and changing business priorities.
• Modernised the platform from ASP.NET MVC to ASP.NET Core, improving maintainability, scalability and future development.
• Designed bespoke product configuration, pricing and order management functionality tailored to the business.
• Integrated bespoke payment providers, fulfilment services and digital marketing platforms, including Google and Meta.
• Improved performance through database optimisation, targeted caching and infrastructure enhancements.
• Introduced Azure CDN and supporting infrastructure improvements to improve scalability, resilience and user experience.
• Worked directly with business stakeholders to prioritise features, evaluate technical options and support informed business decisions.
Business Outcome
Over more than a decade, the business evolved from having little or no online presence into a multi-million-pound eCommerce operation. Through long-term technical leadership, continuous platform evolution and close collaboration with the client, the platform has supported sustained growth in revenue, traffic and repeat customers while maintaining excellent performance and reliability.
JustSport Group - Lead Technical Consultant & Software Engineer
2014 - 2025
Following several unsuccessful website rebuilds with other agencies, JustSport Group wanted a long-term technical partner rather than another development supplier. Working closely with directors, designers and the marketing team, I helped define the technical approach for rebuilding and consolidating thirteen football club online stores into a single multi-tenant eCommerce platform, supporting clubs including Portsmouth FC, Coventry City FC, Bradford City, Leyton Orient and others.
From the outset, my role extended beyond software development. I advised on platform strategy, user experience, technical architecture and long-term scalability, helping the business make informed decisions as the platform evolved. More than a decade later, I continue to support the platform through ongoing improvements, modernisation and new functionality as both the business and customer expectations continue to evolve.
Rather than simply delivering against a specification, I worked alongside the directors, designers and marketing team to challenge ideas, recommend improvements and help shape a platform that would support the business for the long term.
Key Contributions:
• Led the technical design and delivery of a shared multi-tenant commerce platform supporting multiple football club storefronts from a single codebase.
• Worked closely with business stakeholders to define requirements, challenge assumptions and recommend practical technical solutions throughout the project.
• Designed bespoke checkout, product personalisation and fulfilment workflows to support complex retail operations.
• Integrated third-party logistics and business systems to streamline operational processes.
• Improved platform performance through targeted caching, database optimisation and infrastructure improvements.
• Carried out performance testing using Loader.io and JMeter, ensuring the platform remained stable during high-demand product launches and seasonal peaks.
• Continued to advise on platform evolution, feature prioritisation and technical improvements through a long-term client partnership spanning more than a decade.
Business Outcome
The platform has supported more than £13 million in online revenue while delivering reliable performance during major product launches and peak trading periods. Through continuous optimisation and long-term technical stewardship, it has evolved into a scalable, resilient platform supporting multiple brands from a single application while providing a significantly improved customer experience compared with the systems it replaced.
Avec Sport Ltd - Lead Technical Consultant & Software Engineer
2014 - 2025
Worked closely with the directors and wider team to develop Avec Sport's online presence into a modern, high-performing eCommerce platform capable of supporting the company's continued growth. As the primary technical adviser, I helped shape the platform's evolution, balancing new commercial opportunities with long-term maintainability, performance and operational reliability.
Rather than treating the platform as a one-off project, we took an iterative approach, continually refining and extending it as the business evolved. This included introducing new commerce capabilities, improving customer experience, integrating third-party services and modernising the underlying architecture to support future growth.
Key Contributions:
• Led the ongoing technical strategy, architecture and development of a heavily customised eCommerce platform.
• Extended nopCommerce with bespoke modules, workflows and business logic to support the company's unique retail and fulfilment processes.
• Integrated Umbraco using a headless architecture, giving the marketing team greater flexibility over content while maintaining a robust commerce platform.
• Designed and delivered product personalisation features and logistics integrations, including DPD services, along with integration with Umbraco via Headless.
• Improved platform performance, scalability and reliability through ongoing optimisation of the application, database and hosting infrastructure.
• Worked closely with directors, designers and the marketing team to prioritise new functionality and continually improve the customer experience.
• Provided long-term technical guidance as the platform evolved, ensuring new features aligned with both commercial objectives and the existing architecture.
Business Outcome
Created a scalable digital platform that has grown alongside the business, supporting continuous feature development, improved operational efficiency and a modern customer experience. Through long-term technical stewardship and incremental platform evolution, the solution has remained reliable, maintainable and well positioned for future growth.
FamilyCarersNet - Technical Consultant & Solution Architect
2015 - 2016
Following the organisation's graduation from Cambridge Social Ventures in 2015, I was brought in to help turn the initial concept into a practical, scalable digital platform. Working closely with the founders and stakeholders, I scoped the MVP, defined the technical direction and designed a solution that could grow alongside the organisation while remaining straightforward to manage and maintain.
From the outset, the platform needed to provide a safe, accessible and welcoming environment for over 7 million unpaid carers across the UK. Accessibility was a core requirement throughout the project, with the platform designed to meet Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) guidelines while supporting a wide range of users and devices.
Key Contributions
• Scoped the initial MVP and defined the long-term technical roadmap for the platform.
• Designed and developed the platform from the ground up using .NET and Umbraco.
• Worked closely with stakeholders to translate organisational objectives into practical technical solutions.
• Designed and developed a bespoke community forum, inspired by the usability of platforms such as Mumsnet while tailored specifically to the needs of unpaid carers.
• Developed a suite of custom Umbraco property editors, including flexible advertising management and bespoke editorial tools.
• Designed scalable content structures and publishing workflows that enabled non-technical teams to manage and grow the platform independently.
• Ensured accessibility was considered throughout the project, designing the platform to meet Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) requirements.
• Continued to advise on platform evolution, feature prioritisation and long-term technical direction as the organisation developed.
Business Outcome
The platform provided unpaid carers across the UK with a central place to access trusted information, community support and online services, helping transform an early-stage social enterprise into a fully functioning digital platform. By combining early technical strategy with long-term consultancy and hands-on delivery, the solution provided a flexible foundation capable of evolving alongside the organisation's changing needs.
### ENTERPRISE, PUBLIC SECTOR & HIGH-PROFILE PROJECTS
Throughout my consultancy career I've delivered projects for global brands, public sector organisations and enterprise clients, often working alongside multidisciplinary teams within established delivery frameworks. These engagements have ranged from high-profile public websites to internal business platforms, all requiring close collaboration, clear communication and reliable technical delivery.
British Olympic Association (London 2012)
Delivered a high-profile Team GB Umbraco platform in the lead-up to the London 2012 Olympics, working to immovable deadlines and ensuring the platform remained reliable during periods of exceptionally high public interest.
Deloitte
Worked within a consultancy environment to develop Angels & Dragons, an internal innovation platform supporting a £25 million funding programme, helping structure idea submission, evaluation and governance processes.
NEC
Contributed to enterprise .NET applications within Agile delivery teams, collaborating across developers, QA and stakeholders using structured sprint planning, Git workflows and CI/CD practices.
Lotus F1 Team
Delivered a time-critical marketing platform supporting a Formula One sponsorship launch, where fixed race-day deadlines demanded careful planning and reliable execution.
SCS Sofas
Developed a large-scale Umbraco platform supporting one of the UK's best-known retail brands, giving marketing teams the flexibility to manage content while delivering a responsive customer experience.
Coventry College
Partnered with the marketing and IT teams to deliver a multilingual Umbraco platform that gave content editors greater flexibility while meeting the college's technical, accessibility and governance requirements.
Government & Local Authority
Delivered digital solutions for public-sector organisations including GOV.UK and Sheffield City Council, working within structured delivery environments and public-sector standards.
Engagements frequently delivered under NDA within embedded or white-label development teams.
### EARLIER CAREER
Refinery Group - Technical Lead / Infrastructure Engineer
2001 – 2011
My time at Refinery Group laid the foundations for the consultancy approach I still use today. Working within a busy digital agency, I partnered closely with directors, account managers, designers and clients to turn business ideas into practical technical solutions, often balancing commercial objectives, creative requirements and technical constraints across multiple projects at the same time.
As technical lead, I was responsible for the full delivery lifecycle, from solution design and database architecture through to development, deployment, hosting and ongoing support. The role combined hands-on engineering with regular client interaction, helping shape technical direction while ensuring projects remained aligned with business goals.
Key Responsibilities
• Worked closely with directors, account managers, designers and clients to define technical solutions for commercial and enterprise projects.
• Designed and developed bespoke ASP.NET and SQL Server applications across a wide range of industries.
• Managed Windows Server environments, deployments and live production systems.
• Balanced technical decisions with commercial priorities, usability and long-term maintainability.
• Delivered multiple concurrent projects within a fast-paced agency environment while maintaining high standards of quality and reliability.
Selected Client Projects
• Ryobi (Ryobi One+) – Designed and developed a large-scale product platform, including product registration functionality and integration with marketing campaigns.
• AEG – Delivered a high-volume product registration platform supporting customer engagement and after-sales processes.
• Padders Shoes – Developed a bespoke commercial website tailored to the company's retail and marketing requirements.
• Co-op Funeralcare – Enhanced and modernised an ASP.NET platform, improving performance, usability and long-term maintainability.
NEC Birmingham — .NET Web Developer
2013 - 2015
Joined NEC to work within large-scale enterprise delivery teams, contributing to the development of business-critical applications in a structured Agile environment. Working alongside developers, QA engineers and business stakeholders, I gained valuable experience of enterprise software delivery, controlled release processes and collaborative development practices.
Key Responsibilities
• Developed enterprise .NET applications within Agile delivery teams using structured sprint planning and release cycles.
• Collaborated across development, QA and business teams to deliver features within controlled enterprise environments.
• Worked with Git-based source control, code reviews and CI/CD pipelines as part of a multi-team delivery process.
• Contributed to the delivery of reliable, maintainable software aligned with enterprise development standards.
Deloitte — Web Developer (Consultancy Engagement)
2007 - 2008
Worked within a consultancy environment to develop Angels & Dragons, an internal innovation platform supporting a £25 million corporate funding programme. The platform provided structured workflows for idea submission, evaluation and governance, helping stakeholders assess and manage innovation projects across the organisation.
Key Responsibilities
• Developed workflow-driven ASP.NET and SQL Server functionality supporting structured business processes.
• Worked closely with consultants, business stakeholders and the wider delivery team to translate requirements into practical technical solutions.
• Contributed to workflow, governance and evaluation features supporting the innovation funding programme.
• Gained experience working within a large consultancy environment, balancing stakeholder expectations with iterative software delivery.
### OPEN SOURCE & PLATFORM ENGINEERING
Over the years I've continued to invest in personal engineering projects that explore modern .NET development, API design and developer experience. These projects help me stay hands-on with emerging technologies while providing reusable reference implementations and production-quality examples.
TadoNetApi (.NET SDK)
GitHub Repo: https://github.com/untiedshoes/TadoNetApi
Built and released a Clean Architecture .NET 10 SDK used to simplify integration with the Tado smart heating platform.
• Designed a clean, developer-focused SDK abstraction, removing low-level API complexity and improving integration speed.
• Improved reliability through resilient HTTP handling, including retry strategies and predictable error behaviour.
• Implemented secure OAuth2 authentication and robust token lifecycle management for long-running integrations.
• Applied Test-Driven Development (TDD) using xUnit and Moq, achieving 97% code coverage and reducing regression defects.
• Delivered a strong developer experience through practical documentation and a runnable playground.
• Managed versioned releases with changelogs and release notes to support maintainability and consumer trust.
Tech: .NET 10, C#, REST APIs, OAuth2, xUnit, Moq, CI/CD
---------------------------------
ElavonPaymentsNet (.NET SDK)
GitHub Repo: https://github.com/untiedshoes/ElavonPaymentsNet
Developed and maintain a production-ready .NET 10 SDK for Elavon / Opayo PI Payments API
• Improved safety and reliability of payment flows, including handling of network failures and uncertain transaction states.
• Designed a clean SDK interface to simplify complex payment workflows and reduce integration errors.
• Introduced strong validation and explicit error handling to make failures easier to diagnose and recover from.
• Applied Test-Driven Development (TDD) with xUnit and Moq, achieving 97% code coverage and increasing confidence in critical payment flows.
• Structured onboarding around high-quality documentation and a runnable playground to accelerate developer adoption and integration.
• Managed versioned releases with changelogs and release notes to support maintainability and consumer trust.
Tech: .NET 10, C#, REST APIs, xUnit, Moq, CI/CD
---------------------------------
DPD Ship-to-Shop Plugin (nopCommerce)
Github Repo: https://github.com/untiedshoes/Nop.Plugin.Widgets.DPDShipToShop-Master
Custom nopCommerce widget/plugin integrating DPD Ship-to-Shop delivery workflows into checkout and order management processes.
• Integrated DPD pickup-point APIs with postcode-based location search
• Implemented location caching to reduce external API usage and improve performance
• Extended checkout and fulfilment workflows for complex delivery scenarios
• Captured structured delivery metadata including location codes and geo-coordinates
Tech used: C#, ASP.NET Core, nopCommerce, REST APIs, caching, checkout workflow integration
---------------------------------
Umbraco ↔ nopCommerce Integration API (Headless CMS Architecture)
Video Walkthrough: Youtube
Designed and implemented a custom integration layer between Umbraco CMS and nopCommerce, enabling Umbraco to operate as a headless content platform for commerce-driven experiences.
• Built a secure API integration using Umbraco OAuth, including token lifecycle management with automated renewal via scheduled tasks
• Enabled bidirectional data flow between systems, allowing content managed in Umbraco to synchronise with nopCommerce (e.g. topics/pages)
• Integrated product data from nopCommerce into Umbraco, supporting dynamic content composition including related product selection within CMS workflows
• Leveraged Umbraco Grid and Block Editor to replace limited native nopCommerce content capabilities with a fully flexible, structured content model
• Implemented rendering pipeline to ensure HTML output from nopCommerce matched Umbraco’s native rendering, maintaining consistency across platforms
• Addressed complex cross-platform rendering and data-mapping challenges between legacy nopCommerce structures and Umbraco’s content model
Tech used: C#, ASP.NET, Umbraco CMS, nopCommerce, OAuth, REST APIs, scheduled tasks, headless CMS architecture
### EDUCATION
BA (Hons) Multimedia – University of Hull (2:2)
### ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
• British Citizen – no work restrictions
• Full UK driving licence