Meet the team: Claire

Who stole the cookie out of the cookie jar? While we can’t answer that question, we can guarantee you that while you’re looking for the thief, Claire has raided all cupboards to stock up her chocolate stash hiding away in her desk drawer. A minimum of three bars will suffice, while an upper limit just does not exist.

While she’s efficient in making all chocolate in her way disappear, Claire is also your girl for any problems, questions or concerns that you might have about your projects. Our all-rounder covers all areas, from planning your project from scratch and ensuring everything is on track to giving you the support even after everything is finished.

But most importantly she’s the teams’ biggest cheerleader: always having a bag of motivation up her sleeve!

Claire Lucas - The Hideout

What’s your job?

Project Manager

So what do you actually do everyday?

Some people here would say my role is to boss the team around all day! I would say it’s to be the glue that ensures The Hideout runs smoothly to effectively deliver all our clients projects on time, to budget and ultimately ensure our clients are always happy.

This means my role is very diverse. I could be out at client meetings, writing proposals, creating project plans and specification documents, reviewing the teams work before releasing to clients, through to supporting junior members of the team and ensuring the whole team is motivated to produce great work.

Give us a song that describes you?

Happy – Pharrell Williams

or

Hakuna Matata – The Lion King (I’ve even been known to send this song to a stressed client in the past!)

What keeps you motivated?

The great team spirit and socials, the phrase ‘work hard play hard’ really is true for The Hideout. Oh and the aircon in the office, on the rare occasion I’m allowed it on!

Tell us your favourites: music, TV shows, films?

Would probably be easier to tell you what I don’t like, as I like a complete variety of everything.

Music – everything but dance music where it’s just the same constant noise and no words.

Tv Programmes/Films – just nothing even slightly scary. I’m a total wimp!

What are your most recent discoveries? Any tv-shows, podcasts, blogs or books we should be keeping our eyes on?

Usually it’s everyone else at work that tells me about the things I should be watching etc, so read the others blogs.

You’ve got a time machine, where would you go first?

I’d rather a teleport machine than a time machine! There’s no point in time I would want to go back to, why look back!?

Claire Lucas - The Hideout
Claire Lucas - The Hideout

Tell us something you wish clients knew?

The importance of good content. We can design and build an amazing website, but content can make or break a site.

Team of choice?

Dev team!

Every lunchtime it’s design vs. development at FIFA. This is the one time in a day I give Keith the opportunity to boss me around for a change.

And every afternoon it’s design vs. development at Foos. We always win as the design team like an own goal. This is unless Sarah is playing for the design team and her constantly shouting ‘No’ at the players makes our team fall apart in hysterics.

What is one guilty pleasure you enjoy too much to give up?

Eating chocolate all day every day! Actually, just food in general!

Your best impression?

I’m a project manager… I’m not imaginative enough to be able to do any impression!

Claire Lucas - The Hideout

What’s your earliest creative memory?

Age 4, my dad brings my first moped home, first ride and I got bored of just going round and round the field, so I decided it would be a great idea to change my course and go through the ash of an old bonfire. Needless to say, it didn’t end well!

(Does this count as creative… creativity isn’t just drawing right!?)

Cats or dogs?

Dogs! Cats are unpredictable, never trust a cat!

What do you wish you had known 5 years ago?

To not be so sensible in my twenties!

 

Claire Lucas - The Hideout

What are the 3 things you’d take to a desert island and why?

  • Family and friends.
  • Good food.
  • Sainsburys basics orange squash! (I would take this to the pub with me at weekends if I could get away with it.)

If you had a tagline, what would it be?

‘Shove it in’ – apparently I say this all the time at work.

(Just read this again and realised how rude this could be taken when out of context!)

If you could give the people reading one piece of advice, what would it be?

Be happy, let your heart rule your head as life is to be enjoyed!