Wobbles: A Revolutionary Indoor Play Space

Brief:
A UK-based entrepreneur tasked our consultancy, Sage Studio, with designing a scalable indoor soft play centre for children that could eventually expand across the UK. Influenced by expansive indoor play spaces in China, the client was keen to explore whether a similar concept could succeed within the UK’s cultural context.

Task:
Our objective was to develop a design proposal that was not only visually compelling and spatially functional, but also grounded in strategic business thinking. We needed to understand the users (children and their guardians), identify market gaps, and create a concept that stood out from existing UK competitors.

Action:
We conducted interviews with parents, analysed UK competitors, and developed a Blue Ocean Strategy. I led the spatial design and storytelling aspects, ensuring that our concept aligned with user insights and the client’s vision. As a team, we expanded the proposal to include branding, merchandise concepts, and a detailed Business Model Canvas—presenting a holistic solution that seamlessly integrated design with strategy.

Result:
The proposal successfully demonstrated how strategic storytelling and interdisciplinary collaboration could elevate a simple brief into a compelling business opportunity. It reflected the potential of design to serve as the backbone of a scalable venture—integrating empathy, child psychology, and spatial logic. This project deepened my conviction that architects must move beyond form-making to embrace market understanding, user research, and brand-driven storytelling.