Sonos Arc Ultra
Product CMF & Design Strategy
CMF Lead — Home Audio / 2024
Intro
The Arc Ultra redefines premium home audio, combining performance with refined materials, color, and finish. As CMF Lead, I collaborated with my team to create solutions that balanced brand aesthetic and functional excellence, shaping the material language, palette, and finishes to deliver a cohesive experience across all touchpoints—from the chassis to the speaker grille.
GOAL
Define a refined CMF language that balances premium materials, acoustic performance, and sustainability while reinforcing Sonos’ design vision for products that live confidently in the home.
Challenge
Integrating premium and sustainable materials while maintaining acoustic performance, tactile quality, and visual cohesion across multiple surfaces. The project also involved incorporating our new hardware UI and balancing innovation with Sonos’ design vision for products that are visible, intentional, and elegant in the home.
Researched trends, competitive products, and emerging materials to inform tactile and visual direction. Developed and iterated color, material, and finish combinations, collaborating closely with engineering and manufacturing to validate feasibility, durability, and acoustic performance.
Research & Strategy
The CMF strategy centers on Sonos’ core SKUs: White for the home, and Black for audio.
Implementation & Collaboration
Partnered with cross-functional teams and suppliers to specify and validate materials
Iterated prototypes to refine finishes, textures, and color harmony
Led design reviews to align Industrial Design, Engineering, and Manufacturing on the CMF vision
Exploration & Prototyping
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> better material + reduced partline
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> surface refinement on complex geometry
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> Icon contrast refinement
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> Grille & Scrim Study
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Final Outcome
Delivered a harmonized CMF language from the grille, and accents, combining timeless neutrals with subtle, premium accents. Innovating from the The Arc Ultra is visually striking, tactilely engaging, and unmistakably Sonos.
Reflection
Images: Production build review — unboxing
Arc Ultra demonstrated that CMF is more than surface—it serves as a bridge between performance and perception, with material and finish decisions thoughtfully enhancing acoustic quality, usability, and brand trust.