CMF STRATEGY
In 2013 I was recruited to Sonos by founder John MacFarlane where I was charged with was setting up the organizational structure and overall strategy for design. A key pillar of the design strategy was CMF (color, material, and finish) which we incorporated into a vision we called B&W+C (Black & White + Color). It was a naive and audacious plan that set out to make Black & White color ways as synonymous with Sonos as aluminum is with Apple. Ultimately to execute against this strategy required recruiting key people, reassessing our supply chain, and drove an adjacent inquiry into the potential of precision plastic grilles.
WHY I LIKE IT:
Black and White was a small but foundational choice. With time it drove alignment across product hardware, software UX, packaging – and ultimately, brand presentation. In time, the discipline with which we approached B&W created a strong foundation for our partnerships with Blue Note Records and the Danish furniture brand Hay.
COLLABORATORS:
Kitty Suidman
Wai-Loong Lim