Helena Masat on motherhood, flexibility & designing for true accessibility

✨ Subscribe to Show Notes for more from Space by Stansons at https://www.stansons.co.uk/space ✨ In this episode, Guy sits down with Helena, Creative Director and Founder of Studio Masat, to discuss navigating the design industry as a new mother while launching her own studio.Helena shares her background in design & build, what it was like managing pregnancy in a client-facing role, and why transparency, planning, and trust are essential when balancing projects and maternity leave. The conversation explores outdated industry norms around flexibility, the loss of talented mothers due to rigid systems, and why outcomes matter more than hours at a desk.They also dive into how motherhood reshaped Helena’s perspective on accessibility in the built environment — and why inclusive design should never be a retrofit or afterthought.This is an episode about leadership, flexibility, and designing better systems — both in our workplaces and in the spaces we create.They also explore:How parenthood exposed everyday access barriers (and why it changed Helena’s design lens)Why physical accessibility is being left behind in wider inclusion conversationsThe difference between inclusive design and “retrofit” afterthought solutionsAnnouncing pregnancy on client projects: what works, what doesn’t, and when to share itThe “buddy system” approach that protects the client experience and grows junior talentWhy the “mothers are less ambitious” narrative is wrong — and what’s actually trueThe outdated 9–5 model in a two-income world (and why flexibility is already happening elsewhere)Trust + communication as the real foundation of flexible workExamples of accessibility done well — and what most buildings still get wrongEpisode ResourcesHelena Masat on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helena-masat-671522104/?originalSubdomain=ukGuy Stanley on LinkedIn:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/guystanleyLearn more about Stansons Group Ltd. here: https://stansons.co.uk🔗 Useful Links:🎧 Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3JuplSC🎧 Spotify: https://bit.ly/4924osv💬 Comment below your favourite part!