As part of Seramount’s ongoing commitment to fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing among DEI leaders, the recent webinar “Thinking Bigger about DEI: The Executive Playbook on Inclusive Design” offered invaluable insights into the evolving landscape of inclusive design. Hosted as a Member Connect session—a hallmark of Seramount’s partnership approach—this event provided a platform to delve into how organizations are embedding inclusive design principles into their practices to drive innovation and connection to their workplace and marketplace.
Designing With Communities, Not For Them: Mattel’s Approach
Mason Williams emphasized Mattel’s philosophy of “designing with communities, not for communities.” This principle fosters collaboration between designers and the communities they aim to serve, cultivating shared pride in the outcomes.
Mattel’s iconic Barbie, celebrating 65 years, exemplifies this evolution. The recent introduction of the first Barbie with Down syndrome was developed through partnerships with families, the National Down Syndrome Society, and other stakeholders to ensure authenticity and resonance. Similarly, Mattel’s UNO with Braille—created in collaboration with employee resource groups (ERGs) and tested by families with low vision—demonstrates how inclusive design processes result in deeper employee engagement and broader market acceptance.
Other notable milestones include Barbies with cochlear implants, which allow children to see themselves reflected for the first time in their toys, transcending traditional sales metrics to focus on representation and inclusion. As Williams put it, “Doing the right thing and doing good business amplify each other.”
Inclusive Design at Sonos: Amplifying New Perspectives
Sonos, known for its products, began its inclusive design journey in early 2024. Hadley Amann highlighted the company’s efforts to address gender representation, historically underrepresented in audio product markets. By engaging with women customers, Sonos explored how they enjoy products, identified improvement areas, and built strategies to replicate this success for other demographics.
For Sonos, inclusive design is deeply intertwined with effective design. It involves collaboration with both customers and internal teams to ensure inclusivity is seamlessly integrated into every aspect of their products, research processes, and marketing strategies. Through this collaboration Sonos broadens representation and creates products that are more meaningful and enjoyable for a diverse range of users.
Starting Small, Thinking Big
Both Mattel and Sonos emphasized that organizations looking to adopt inclusive design principles should start with small, focused steps.
For Sonos, this meant examining demographic gaps between their current customer base and the addressable market, beginning with gender representation. Internally, they aligned stakeholders to identify opportunities for immediate impact, from product design to distribution and marketing.
Mattel’s journey began with internal insights: employees noting that their designs didn’t represent themselves or their families. Every moment became an “Aha” moment, how can we continue to ensure representation across the brand?
“DEI should be thought of as a lens by which we do every business process.”
Williams noted, “DEI should be thought of as a lens by which we do every business process not just designing of the toys but the way we design our workforce, the way we design our workspaces, the way that we think about how we interact with each other in meetings”.
Measuring Success and Staying Accountable
Both organizations highlighted the importance of disciplined accountability in sustaining progress. Mattel leverages balanced scorecards to evaluate representation across its product lines while utilizing social listening tools to gauge public sentiment. For example, Hot Wheels and fidget spinners have resonated strongly with the neurodiverse community—a reflection of the brand’s commitment to inclusivity.
Sonos, on the other hand, uses dashboards filtered by gender to monitor satisfaction scores and evaluates internal efforts, such as the success of inclusive customer research conversations. Small incremental steps, they noted, lay the foundation for systemic change.
The Business Case for Inclusive Design
Katie Mooney reminded attendees of the broader business imperative: inclusive design not only taps into new markets but also reinforces profitability and brand loyalty.
Sonos has reframed its approach to inclusive design to focus on inclusion as a core business practice, not an afterthought. Instead of asking, “How can we integrate DEI into our practices?”, the company asks, “Who else do we need to speak with? Who else can we involve in this research?” This shift in perspective ensures a more comprehensive understanding of customers, particularly those who may have been historically excluded. It’s a mindset that prioritizes collaboration, creating a product that resonates broadly while serving specific identities authentically.
At Mattel, the philosophy of “people, product, and purpose” anchors its inclusive design strategy. Mason Williams described this evolution: “First, making sure that we take care of our people. Second, ensuring that we represent the world as we see it—and that our products reflect that same vision. Third, bringing it all back to the purpose: that play is for everyone.”
“It’s no longer about pulling the DEI lever to confirm inclusivity. Instead, inclusivity is simply the way we do things.”
Williams shared how DEI has moved from being a standalone initiative to being deeply ingrained in Mattel’s operations. “It’s no longer about pulling the DEI lever to confirm inclusivity. Instead, inclusivity is simply the way we do things.” This shift ensures that inclusivity is not just a consideration but an expectation at every level of business.
Looking Ahead
This webinar was a powerful reminder that inclusive design is more than a strategy—it’s a mindset. Whether through dolls that reflect diverse abilities or audio products that resonate with underrepresented groups, the future of inclusive design promises a more equitable and innovative world.
Angela-Gabrielle Pajarito Lacerna is a passionate advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), with a unique journey shaped by her experiences as an immigrant from the Philippines and her diverse background in music and education. As an Associate Director at Seramount, Angela cultivates impactful partnerships across industries.
Angela-Gabrielle Pajarito Lacerna is a passionate advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), with a unique journey shaped by her experiences as an immigrant from the Philippines and her diverse background in music and education. As an Associate Director at Seramount, Angela cultivates impactful partnerships across industries, including Retail, Custom Software & IT Services, HR & Staffing, Management Consulting, Government, and Nonprofit sectors. Her dedication to DEI is both personal and professional, and she is committed to helping organizations foster lasting, positive change.
In addition to her role at Seramount, Angela serves on the board of the National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP) DC, where she leads initiatives that support the professional development of Asian Americans. She is also actively engaged in Employee Resource Group (ERG) programming, contributing to AANHPI Heritage Month and Filipino American Heritage Month (FAHM) celebrations.
Angela holds a BA from Franklin & Marshall College and an MA from Columbia University. She resides just outside Washington, D.C., where she enjoys visiting museums, taking dance classes, and cooking.
