Trained psychologist and anthropologist, interaction designer, product designer and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts: there are many strings to Owen’s bow. His endless fascination with human behavior and 25 years in the industry make him ideally placed to advise our clients on everything from service propositions to digital transformation.

Owen inspires and leads our global design group and creative teams, also serving as non-executive director on various start-ups and advisory committees.

For over two decades Mark has worked at several leading research labs, collaborating with global brands in media, telecoms, finance, entertainment, and the public sector. Mark leads our UK research team and heads up many of our key accounts. With degrees in Cognitive Science and Human-Centered Computer Systems, and a doctorate in Sociology, he’s a vital cog in Sutherland’s collective brainpower – and a keen cyclist in this spare time.

“Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world today” said Robert McKee. Anton is our master storyteller, bringing to life data insights and customer journeys through narrative, visual design, and creative communications. With over 18 years of leading creative projects for the likes of Disney, ESPN, Johnson & Johnson, Cigna, Hiscox, SAP and Mars. His passion for stories has also seen him produce the ‘Analogue Tribes’ documentary films, launch the Photographers Dining Club, and win Photographer of the Year twice. As a kid, he had a pet hedgehog. Honest.

Editor, communicator, strategist; Gemma’s goal is to share our stories with the world, imparting insights on how to grow businesses through human centric research and design.

Gemma has over 20 years’ experience of growing UX and design teams – developing talent, creative environments and company culture. At Sutherland Labs Gemma leads our thought leadership, marketing and strategy initiatives. She is also mother to two Jedi Knights in training.

Mike runs our Program Operations team (or ProgOps as we like to call it). Coming from a research and technology background he spent many years conducting research in a wide range of areas before moving across to ProgOps. His team provides the operational glue that holds our programs together, handling the technology, resourcing, recruitment, finance and data protection to name just a few of the things they look after.

James began his career working in Arts and Culture before realising it was culture with a small ‘c’ that truly interested him. His time in research has taken him from Lima to Leeds, into client-facing roles, and now to agency life with Sutherland. With experience of brand, customer and employee experience, James brings a holistic approach to design research. Away from work, he likes to spend his time watching films, eating Mexican food and running the streets of North London!

Laura is a researcher with a background in psychology and social work. She brings to the table a unique problem solving skill set which she utilises daily to come up with the best solutions for the right problems. She has honed her skills in empathy building and identifying user’s goals to achieve the best outcomes. In her spare time, she loves playing board games, video games, really any kind of game!

Michael found his way into design research because of his passion for simplifying processes for people. His degrees in Computer Science and Human-Computer Interaction, coupled with his experience as a paramedic has meant that Michael is particularly interested in service design within the healthcare industry and public sector. Outside of work, he enjoys playing tennis, dancing, and woodworking.

Mel is a User Researcher with a background in events and entertainment who joins us from our UXalliance partner in Canada. Mel brings a huge wealth of experience over a long career in live entertainment which involved being responsible for rock bands’ live careers, and organizing multi-million-dollar arena tours for Cirque Du Soleil, before she discovered through UX a new way to put her problem-solving skills to good use. Through her work with indigenous peoples in Canada, she has become passionate about inclusion, and tries to carry this over into UX.

Outside of work Mel is a karaoke queen – nay, master – a lapsed yogi, and loves to travel and go on adventures with her son, husband and sausage dog Odin. Mel has a degree in Communications & Sociolinguistics.

What makes up the human experience & how do we enhance it? Claire is a researcher with a background in design and ergonomics. Seeing the world through a multicultural perspective helped her build an empathic lens, which as a human-centered advocate serves in her research. Before Sutherland, Claire worked as a graphic designer in various places as well as experienced the hectic startup environment whilst doing web design.

Outside of work you will probably find Claire in the park practicing yoga, putting a playlist together or asking people what their ‘Madeleine de Proust’ are.

Ella brings together creative flair, psychological insight and scientific skills in her role as UX researcher. Her degree in interactive media and masters in Human Computer interaction, provides her an ideal skill set for understanding people’s thinking and behaviours in today’s world. In her spare time, Ella enjoys the literary world of science fiction, spending time with her dog and throwing shapes on the dance floor.

Jamie Taylor is a service designer with a passion for unravelling intricate challenges. With a keen eye for design and a passion for compelling storytelling, Jamie specializes in crafting seamless experiences that bridge the gap between user needs and business objectives.

Jamie orchestrates holistic solutions that optimize interactions across various touchpoints, ultimately enhancing customer satisfaction and driving organizational success.

Besides work Jamie has his hands full with 2 dogs and 2 daughters!

Catrin is an accomplished producer, editor and director with over 10 years industry experience. Before joining Sutherland, Catrin worked as a freelance filmmaker, working on a number of commercial, feature, music, ethnographic and corporate films.

Inspired by storytelling, Catrin’s broad and varied knowledge of film production – from producing through to editing – has allowed her to marry both pragmatism and creativity. When not creating, Catrin has a passion for all things food and travel, and thrives whilst exploring the world!

Jamie is passionate about visual design and storytelling and has a background in graphic design and illustration. Always on the hunt for new skills, he is currently building his motion graphics and animation skillset.

Before joining Sutherland, Jamie worked as a freelance designer, a technician at an Arts University, and also ran a printmaking business and studio. In his spare time he enjoys working on illustrations, testing his tolerance to chilli in the kitchen, and taking advantage of London’s thriving live music scene.

When it comes to the daily management of our innovation and research studios, Kelly holds it all together. She’s spent over seven years working in research studios, across sectors spanning government to gaming, making her ideally placed to oversee the recruitment of new research participants. And she knows how to create the kind of comfortable, efficient working environment in which creativity thrives.

Freya brings her dedication to customer service, communication and technology to ensure your sessions or meetings run smoothly at the London Labs. With a background in photography and fine art, she enjoys both reading and watching murder mysteries, eating at any restaurant TikTok recommends to her, and talking about art history to anyone willing to listen.

As Business Operations Manager, Charlee brings to the Labs organisational skills developed over 12 years of experience working in marketing, finance, technical operations and logistics within the film industry.

A creative at heart, she thrives where science and art meet and holds a degree in Photography, as well as diplomas in science and costume design. Charlee is a keen learner and never shies away from a challenge – including learning how to play a contact sport on roller skates.

Indiya brings her creativity, warmth, and organization to support smooth operations and meaningful connections here at Sutherland Labs. With a background in digital media production and experience across hospitality, radio, and events, she thrives in people-focused environments.

Outside of work, Indiya enjoys DJing, reading thrillers, and discovering new music scenes across London.

Marise Phillips leads service design, a collaborative methodology that strengthens connections across digital design and implementation. Her extensive experience in participatory design facilitation empowers cross functional teams to co-create empathy maps, ecosystems, journey maps and experience blueprints.

At Wells Fargo, Marise managed the customer insights team shaping digital commercial and consumer banking experiences whilst also helping the bank become a more agile organization. Before that, she worked in senior design roles at Blurb.com, Autodesk, Seagate Services, and Walmart.com. In her spare time, she leads ethnographic initiatives to promote ecosystem restoration in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Jun is a Designer at Sutherland Labs with 6+ years of graphic design and e-commerce experience with an industrial manufacturer and distributor. With a background in Visual Communication and Psychology, he is curious about how design and behavior intersect. He is especially passionate about using design to improve health and wellness services.

Alessandra has over 15 years of experience in strategic qualitative research and brand development, working in the UK, Italy and the US. Her passion for understanding the different aspects of business strategy led to various roles in different industries, and to entrepreneurial pursuits as a small business owner. She has been the co-founder of a humanitarian tech startup, a marketing strategist, a business consultant to small businesses and startups, and worked in a variety of industries, from tech to NGO to media to fashion. She is fuelled by a natural curiosity to understand people’s behavior, their choices, what drives them to action, and the systems they operate in.

Besides research, Alessandra has a passion for music and a keen interest in human rights, mindfulness and wisdom.

In her work as a cultural anthropologist, Nicole is motivated by an interest in understanding people in diverse contexts, and how these contexts shape their needs, expectations, and possibilities. She brings nearly 20 years of research experience in international and domestic settings, often among vulnerable populations and on uncomfortable topics.

Nicole brings an anthropological lens and understanding of public health to human centered design. She sees ethnography, empathy and storytelling as central to her work, and has a talent for respectfully eliciting stories and making meaning out of experiences. She speaks fluent Spanish, having grown up in a bicultural household and having lived and worked in Mexico.

James believes in improving people’s lives through human centered design. He spent nearly a decade performing consumer insights research at Google, before earning his MA in Design from SFSU in 2019. While earning his degree, he led a team to the Stanford Design Challenge finals, and was awarded 1st place in the state-wide CSU Research Competition for his design work on improving student mental health. This work has helped make James a thought leader in the realm of performing research with vulnerable populations.

Melanie is a Research Operations professional with 7 years of experience supporting design teams across industries, from automotive and entertainment to aerospace and digital products. At IDEO, she worked on programs for clients like Ford Motor Company and Sony PlayStation, and led initiatives focused on societal and systemic change. Her passion for improving systems and processes has helped teams focus on delivering impactful, human-centered solutions.

Outside of work, Melanie is a creative coder and visual artist who explores modular synthesis and emerging technologies. She actively deepens her knowledge of sociology through ongoing coursework, enjoys running, adores her cats, and collects obscure art books and rare music finds.