Patrick Shields · Independent consultant
Make technology
work for people.
Practical software, connected hardware, and automation—with a clear purpose and a human at the other end.
How I can help
Start with the problem.
Build what’s useful.
I’m Patrick, an independent technology consultant. I help connect the pieces—from the software you use to the hardware it talks to—so the result makes everyday work easier.
Software & integration
Custom tools, connected systems, and a clearer path through a technical problem. Make the pieces you already have work together.
Hardware & connected systems
Bring software into the physical world. Explore prototypes, access control, and the connections between devices and the people using them.
Automation & troubleshooting
Find the repetitive work and the recurring friction. Simplify a workflow, understand a stubborn system, and choose a practical next step.
A project from the workshop
A small key.
A useful connection.
Ctrl-O started with a straightforward need: help a makerspace manage who can open the door, without an expensive system or a full-time administrator.
Open-source hardware and software connected membership with physical access. A real-world example of technology doing something useful for people.
Explore the projectWhat could work better?
Bring the problem, the half-built idea, or the system that’s getting in your way. Let’s find a useful next step.