Labs Life: Meet Laura Donohue

Where are you based?

I split my time between our office in Covent Garden and my home office in rural Hampshire. It’s the perfect balance between busy city life and being chased by sheep and ducks through the village!

Can you explain your job to me like I’m a 5 year old?

I talk to people about what they like and don’t like about all kinds of things. It could be about how they use their mobile to talk to you while they’re away, or maybe a game they like to play with you. I talk to them about what it’s like to work and how it could be better. After talking to lots of people, I make a collage of all of the things I found out. In the collage, I add pictures of what they did, write down what they said, and add some ideas that I think will help make things better. After that, I do a show and tell with the people I work with and we talk about what we should do next to turn that collage into something that will help people.

What would the ten year old version of you say that they wanted to be when they grew up?

If you asked me when I was ten years old what I wanted to be when I grew up, I probably would have said professional footballer. I played football every weekend and I loved it! Mia Hamm was my hero and I was obsessed with Bend It Like Beckham. I wanted to be as strong, fast, and courageous as them. When I turned 14, I was recruited to play competitively with some very talented ladies. While I got a bit lazy and didn’t join my university team, I continued playing friendly matches with friends.

What is the unique talent that you bring to Sutherland?

My unique talent is my enthusiasm and dedication to understand our participants’ needs. As a former children’s social worker, I always put the children I worked with at the heart of my practice. It was my responsibility to develop a strong rapport with them to identify their strengths and needs so they could thrive. The empathy building tools I applied everyday to my social work job I apply to this one. Whether they are gamers, news readers, or medical patients, I put in my all to ensure their voices are communicated to my clients.

What is your average working day like?

It really depends, which is part of the reason why I love this job! Some days, my favorite days, I’m running sessions all day with participants. This could include exploratory interviews, usability testing, facilitating workshops, etc. I also prepare pitches for prospective clients which I really enjoy because I have the time and space to tailor a bespoke solution to their research requirements. It’s quite a creative process. Throughout the week, I’m always in touch with my colleagues whether it be team meetings, mentoring, and checking in on project work.

What do you do for fun?

I love going out into nature with my camera and taking pictures of birds. I tend to go out in the mornings on the weekend when the light is best. It’s very relaxing. I also play videogames with my friends and my husband. We’ve played a range of gamers together from Factoria to World of Warcraft. I am also the dungeon master for a fortnightly Dungeons and Dragons campaign with Labs colleagues. We order takeout, make jokes, and have a great time!

Thank you Laura! To meet more of our team follow us on social, or sign up for our mailing list below.