{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Space by Stansons","title":"Helena Masat on motherhood, flexibility & designing for true accessibility","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":1909,"description":"✨ Subscribe to Show Notes for more from Space by Stansons at https://www.stansons.co.uk/space ✨\nIn 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.\nHelena 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 The conversation explores outdated industry norms around flexibility, the loss of talented mothers due to rigid systems, and why outcomes matter more than hours at a desk.\nThey also dive into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.\nThis is an episode about leadership, flexibility, and designing better systems — both in our workplaces and in the spaces we create.\nThey also explore:\nHow parenthood exposed everyday access barriers (and why it changed Helena’s design lens)\nWhy physical accessibility is being left behind in wider inclusion conversations\nThe difference between inclusive design and “retrofit” afterthought solutions\nAnnouncing pregnancy on client projects: what works, what doesn’t, and when to share it\nThe “buddy system” approach that protects the client experience and grows junior talent\nWhy the “mothers are less ambitious” narrative is wrong — and what’s actually true\nThe outdated 9–5 model in a two-income world (and why flexibility is already happening elsewhere)\nTrust + communication as the real foundation of flexible work\nExamples of accessibility done well — and what most buildings still get wrong\nEpisode Resources\n\nHelena Masat on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helena-masat-671522104/?originalSubdomain=uk\nGuy Stanley on LinkedIn:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/guystanley\nLearn more about Stansons Group Ltd. here: https://stansons.co.uk\n🔗 Useful...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/nJPvj68bReSmAJ9SKY527RT_ixrcvU7rvF8C76NLhRE/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS83YmI1/MjI5ZTcwNDQ4YmVi/MGQzZjQ0NWVhZmIy/MzJjMy5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}