Daniel Barletta
Product-Minded Builder
I build worlds, tools, and visual systems that help people create.
My background combines biology, software engineering, and narrative design. I approach product work with the same systems thinking that shapes my fiction—looking for patterns, constraints, and the elegant solutions that emerge when you truly understand a problem space.
Featured Work
BuildBoard
Visual Construction Planning App
Pinterest-inspired interface for DIY builders. Transforms scattered notes and spreadsheets into visual boards organizing materials, cuts, tools, safety, and step-by-step instructions. Built with Next.js, TypeScript, and Tailwind.
Product thinking: Identified gap between Pinterest inspiration and execution. Six-board information architecture mirrors builder mental model. Safety-first UX with severity-based visual hierarchy.
View demo →World of Tethys
Interactive World Archive
Visual discovery platform for a science fiction series. Interactive map, location database, creature archive, and spoiler-aware content system. Reframes a book companion as a product for exploration and discovery.
Product thinking: Progressive disclosure for spoiler management. Related content engine connects locations, creatures, and narrative events. Visual-first interface optimized for scanning and discovery patterns.
Explore world →Scientific Dashboard (Prior Work)
Research Data Visualization
Real-time dashboards for academic research teams tracking experimental results, statistical analysis, and collaborative annotations. Emphasis on data integrity and reproducibility workflows.
Product thinking: Designed for research velocity. Automated quality checks prevent bad data from propagating. Annotation system enables knowledge transfer between team members.
Approach
Great products emerge from understanding constraints. Whether building construction planning tools or fictional ecosystems, I start with the problem space—what forces shape behavior? What patterns emerge under pressure? What's the minimum viable elegance that solves the real need?
My biology background taught me to look for evolutionary pressures. My engineering work taught me to build systems that scale. My writing taught me that the best solutions feel inevitable once you see them.
Technical Foundation
Languages & Frameworks
- • TypeScript / JavaScript
- • React / Next.js
- • Python
- • Node.js
Focus Areas
- • Product Design
- • Information Architecture
- • Visual Systems
- • Data Visualization
About the Writing
World of Tethys is prehistoric survival fiction grounded in deep-time ecology, volcanic pressure, and evolutionary logic. The series treats environment as character— a world where place, species, and climate drive conflict as strongly as any individual.