Digital Wonder Women!

In celebration of International Women’s Day, we’re showcasing the talent of the wonder women in our Wonderlab.

Driving change, diversity and equality are things they do for our clients every day, relentlessly working on projects that help to change the world and the communities around us.

With women making up just 26% of the tech workforce according to the latest Women in Tech Report, the industry needs to do more to support gender equity, something we’re passionate about.

We’re supporting this years theme of ‘embrace equity’ to actively drive change and help recruit more women into the tech space.

As members of the Tech Talent Charter, we're committed to solving the diversity problem in tech through a collective effort across organisations, industries, and sectors.

We ran a Q&A session with Deborah Fortescue our Head of Client Services, Laura Pinkstone our Head of User Experience, Rachel Passmore our Office Manager and Kim Hannon our Transformation Consultant. They have put together some insights on each other, how they work, their views on women in tech and how to drive the change.

Deborah, what inspires you about Laura?

Laura’s experience, means that she understands the digital fears that many clients might have, the pitfalls many can fall foul of and despite knowing user behaviours scarily well, she never assumes anything until she starts testing. Laura takes the time to understand our clients’ world and their pain points putting them at ease by sharing her knowledge.

She’s approachable and a great sounding board, making it easy for the team and our clients to ask for advice. Her forward thinking and strong focus on the deliverables is second to none! Laura is a relentless, force of nature, is usually the first to get involved in the project and sees it through to the end.

We have a saying ‘you get Laura for life’ as she is always watching, questioning and checking in, long past go live.

Laura, what inspires you about Deborah?

Deborah is a great listener and keeps the team and our clients on track. She goes above and beyond to bring energy, ideas and motivation to every project adapting quickly to tackle challenges.

She has a wealth of knowledge in different sectors and is a brilliant mentor. I love working with Deborah as we constantly collaborate, look at where we can do better and how we can improve our client’s worlds. She is a truly amazing person both in her work and personal life, definitely one of those people you inspire to be like!

Rachel, what inspires you about Kim?

Kim brings a team together. She just loves to deliver transformational change to her clients and motivates everyone in the Wonderlab. Her enthusiasm for what she does has a hugely positive impact on both.

She is excellent at explaining what we’re working on, clear in what she requires and inclusive. Kim loves what she does, is people focused and always up for a team challenge!

Kim, what inspires you about Rachel?

Rachel is the glue that holds us together and keeps the wheels of Digital Wonderlab turning seamlessly. She inspires us by being the metronome/heartbeat of the organisation in effortless fashion. She keeps us all on track so we can focus on our clients.

Rachel is also a silent process assassin – creating order from chaos to bring about effective and timely delivery of the day to day. She is sharp, efficient and funny – a great combo in a colleague!

Why do you think it’s important for women to join the tech industry?

Deborah: Because great tech is designed for users, so we need to make sure our voice is heard. Tech is part of every sector, every part of our life – so why wouldn’t women be part of tech?

Rachel: It’s important that women feel able to join any industry and that there is accessibility. The tech industry needs to redefine and advertise the diverse roles that exist under the sector. Roles that many school leavers will not be aware of. It is also a sector that has roles women could retrain in and many transferable skills. We need more women in tech to create balance and variety in the industry.

Kim: Future tech needs to be built for all – if we don’t put our energy in to it now we will be left in the same position as medicine… designed by men for women with all the pitfalls that entails.

Laura: I think women bring balance to tech teams and provide a well-rounded view. We look at problems differently.

What does this year's IWD theme of 'embracing equity' mean to you?

Deborah: It means turning up as yourself, secure in that what you have to offer adds value, your experience, your differences, your passions, your quirks, your strengths, your weakness and embracing them all. Then looking to the amazing women around you and supporting them to do the same!

Rachel: It’s about creating a mindset in which there is true equity in all things to drive inclusion, diversity and ultimately harmony amongst human beings. If things are equitable then true equality is possible.

Kim: Meeting and reaching out to women across the spectrum of Tech to understand and recognise their journey and how we can remove shared barriers for all.

Laura: It means sharing your experiences, being proud of your achievements, inspiring others and supporting them in their experiences.

If you're interested in a career with us, head on over to our jobs page and take a look at our latest vacancies.