Marianne O'Loughlin

Former User Research Practice Lead

Photo of Marianne O'Loughlin in a blue dress standing in a hallway smiling and looking off to the side of shot

Profile

Marianne has been working in user research for over 20 years, almost before it was even a thing! Her experience spans multiple sectors, consultancies, and the Scottish and UK public sectors.

She joined Opencast in 2022, where she became the company's first User Research Practice Lead.

Marianne is passionate about ethical research, accessibility and inclusion. As User Research Practice Lead, she saw her role as enabling Opencast's team of researchers to achieve success on their client projects.

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Blog post

Two people standing on stage in front of a dark backdrop with colorful accents; one is holding a microphone, and the other stands near a laptop on a podium.

Agentic AI: opportunities and challenges – and how to navigate them responsibly

Agentic AI represents a significant leap beyond traditional automation. These ‘digital coworkers’ are proactive, goal-oriented assistants – and the technology has profound implications across industry, with the potential to transform services by working in real-time, 24/7. The adoption of agentic AI also introduces a new set of challenges – with rapid evolution of the technology outpaces regulatory frameworks, careful consideration is needed of ethical, legal and operational risks. the emerging opportunities, challenges and approaches to best practice in this space? 

Data & AI

Read more

Blog post

Side-by-side portrait images of two people shown from the shoulders up. The person on the left has short, tightly curled grey hair and is wearing a dark top against a dark background. The person on the right has short, straight brown hair and is wearing a blue top, with a teal and green indoor background behind them. The comparison-style layout suggests a before-and-after or contrast between the two images.

Why accessibility research training matters

Opencast has been developing practical accessibility research training for its user research team. Here we explain how the initial training has worked, what we have found out – and the impact it has had so far on our work with clients.

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)

|

UCD

Read more

Blog post

Two people standing on stage in front of a dark backdrop with colorful accents; one is holding a microphone, and the other stands near a laptop on a podium.

Agentic AI: opportunities and challenges – and how to navigate them responsibly

Agentic AI represents a significant leap beyond traditional automation. These ‘digital coworkers’ are proactive, goal-oriented assistants – and the technology has profound implications across industry, with the potential to transform services by working in real-time, 24/7. The adoption of agentic AI also introduces a new set of challenges – with rapid evolution of the technology outpaces regulatory frameworks, careful consideration is needed of ethical, legal and operational risks. the emerging opportunities, challenges and approaches to best practice in this space? 

Data & AI

Read more

Blog post

Side-by-side portrait images of two people shown from the shoulders up. The person on the left has short, tightly curled grey hair and is wearing a dark top against a dark background. The person on the right has short, straight brown hair and is wearing a blue top, with a teal and green indoor background behind them. The comparison-style layout suggests a before-and-after or contrast between the two images.

Why accessibility research training matters

Opencast has been developing practical accessibility research training for its user research team. Here we explain how the initial training has worked, what we have found out – and the impact it has had so far on our work with clients.

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)

|

UCD

Read more