Hi! I’m Laura S. Quinn.

I’ve been leading website projects, creating digital strategies, and translating between technologists and nonprofits for my entire career. What can I bring to your project?

I understand nonprofits and philanthropy

I've worked with hundreds of nonprofits and foundations over the years. I've been on the inside: for instance, I spent ten years as the founding Executive Director of Idealware (now part of TechImpact), an organization that provides research-based information about technology to nonprofits, and I serve on the board of the Maine Association of Nonprofits. I've worked with organizations of all sizes, including leading animal welfare and climate change organizations, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Counterpart International, Legal Services Corporation, and many more.

I know how to define transformative websites

Working with stakeholders to brainstorm, envision, and refine compelling visions for websites is as much an art as a science. Through work with dozens of nonprofits, I’ve been able to juggle organization needs, the things that will be compelling to users, resource constraints, differentiating features, and impact stories to create a one-of-a-kind approach for each site.

I Understand WEB Projects

I’ve seen every stage of website project development for more than 20 sites. From up-front strategy to a compelling site structure and user experience, to graphic design, to development, content creation, testing, launch, and maintenance, I’ve learned the best practices and the frequent trouble spots. I know what a project looks like when it’s flowing smoothly and how to prevent issues down the road.

I have real technology and vendor expertise

While many website experts start solely from a communications focus, I combine that focus with a true familiarity with technology.  I started my career coding stored procedures in SQL. Since then, I’ve gained familiarity with many systems, including content management systems like Drupal and Wordpress, but the lessons I learned early about technology principles still serve me well in understanding what makes the difference between a complex customization and a simple tweak. I’ve played a “translator” role between technologists and the rest of the organization for my entire career.

I Have extensive Project management skills

I spent several years as a Project Manager for website implementations early in my career. This experience has equipped me with invaluable skills in task breakdown structures, project planning, budgeting, and a belief in communicating early and often.

I love process— in a good way

I know pretty much all of the processes that that can apply to the Definition phase of the project— design thinking, agile, waterfall, Minimal Viable Product, requirement gathering and prioritization methodologies, user stories… and more. But it’s rare that any single process is perfect for any single project. My specialty is figuring out the right pieces of each methodology to deliver the right results at the right budget. Whatever process we use, I ensure that each step is documented not only with words but with diagrams, to allow all the stakeholders to envision what we’re building.

Want a more formal description of my background? View my profile on LinkedIN or contact me to see a detailed resume.