Shannah Segal

Having run an agency I know how challenging they can be to maintain. The margins need to be higher but rarely are. You often are running over project budgets due to scope creep and poor estimation.

When I was subcontracted by agencies or contracted them myself working client side I also found that many agencies can either be cold or pompous. That’s why I thoroughly enjoyed working with Usability Matters. One of the principals of Usability Matters was Shannah Segal.

Shannah and her team made us feel extremely welcome and at ease. Their demeanour, their office, and their employees all exhibited an air of calmness. When starting a session with their team the atmosphere was exciting. We were designing the interface to our new applications and Shannah and her team made the process a real pleasure.

Shannah and her partners were able to cultivate an atmosphere that was relaxed. Typically agencies are constantly pressuring their employees to put in long hours. I regularly hear of agencies pushing 60-80 hour work weeks to meet constant deadlines. I never had the sense that Usability Matters overworked their team. Their office atmosphere was calm, airy, and friendly. Team members generally seemed happy to see you visit and were enthusiastic to get working on your project.

Alas, agencies are tough to maintain. Shannah eventually moved on and now works in Ontario’s Digital Service where they are very lucky to have her.

I will always take inspiration from Shannah’s approach to the culture of her business and the manner in which she engaged in projects. I’m sure keeping the agency in good working order was challenging but her clients never suspected anything ever went wrong. It’s why she’s on My52.

LinkedIn: /shannahsegal