Design for Change is a brief that begins with a real problem and asks for a creative solution. The problem I identified was specific to where I live: Croydon did not have enough sensory parks for children and people with disabilities to enjoy. At the same time, the area had a significant number of empty shops, unused buildings, and neglected outdoor spaces sitting idle, places that could have been generating joy and connection instead.
My response was Explore: a hypothetical brand and franchise concept for portable, modular sensory parks installed across Croydon's existing parks and underused spaces. The idea was an interactive installation that could be packed down and moved, from park to park, or even beyond Croydon entirely, bringing accessible, sensory-led play to wherever it was needed most.
A franchise built on place
Each Explore installation would carry the same logo, but the geometric background pattern and colour system would change for each park. Four original geometric patterns were designed, each with its own palette, so that every location felt distinct while remaining part of the same recognisable system. The logo stays constant; the park speaks for itself.
The geometric forms were chosen deliberately. They work with vibrant colour, they reward close attention, and they carry a hidden bonus: viewed through red and blue 3D glasses, the flat geometry opens up into depth. A small act of inclusion designed into the surface, a moment of surprise that turns a poster into an experience.
Timetabled access
One of the core operational ideas behind Explore is a structured daily schedule. Earlier hours would be dedicated to children, giving families and schools a predictable, quieter window. Later in the day the space opens to the wider community and public. This structure matters particularly for visitors with special needs and disabilities, many of whom rely on consistent, predictable timetables and routines. Building that reliability into the concept from the start, rather than retrofitting it, was part of what made Explore genuinely inclusive rather than nominally so.
The four zones
Each Explore installation was divided into four themed areas:
Aquagoon: a miniature water feature zone with playful fountains and touch ponds.
Foamposit: a foam playground with tactile toys, balls, and soft surroundings.
Swings: movable sensory objects, activities, and swings designed for varied access needs.
Foodfest: a welcoming food court with considered, interesting interiors.
Posters
The systemThe visual identity extended across posters designed for display advertising (with the interactive 3D feature built in), a leaflet printed on A4 and folded into six sections for physical distribution, and a set of original wayfinding symbols designed to guide visitors through each zone. Access as the starting condition, not the afterthought.
Booklet
The leaflet, printed on A4 and folded into six sections, brought the Explore identity into people's hands. A physical object that moves through the visual language of the system, building the world one spread at a time.
Leaflet Series
Key
Pattern System
A separate print made alongside the project. The Nomad Compass represents a journey through different spaces, a single image rendered in compass form, as if tracing the ascent of a peak. Where Explore is a system, the Nomad Compass is a feeling: the sensation of moving through a space that was designed to be discovered.
Nomad Compass