What Trapped in Suburbia does

Trapped in Suburbia is a Dutch design studio founded in 2003 and headquartered in the Netherlands (Amsterdam/The Hague area). The studio specializes in exhibition design, experience design, spatial design, graphic design, and interactive installations for museums, cultural institutions, and commercial brands. Co-founded by Cuby Gerards and Karin Langeveld, the firm operates as a boutique creative practice serving enterprise clients such as Museum Catharijneconvent, Mauritshuis, and Heineken.

The studio's core offerings include immersive installations, museum exhibitions, and branded experiences that integrate interactive technology—including VR, projections, and sensors—with physical spatial and graphic design. Signature products include The Upside Down Amsterdam (described as Europe's largest Instagram experience) and All Out Amsterdam, developed in partnership with Fiction Factory. The studio's portfolio spans major cultural commissions, including a project at the Humboldt Forum in Berlin, alongside commercial work for global brands across multiple countries.

Trapped in Suburbia operates as a project-based boutique studio with 1-10 employees and a bootstrapped, founder-owned structure. Revenue is generated through commissioned project fees for design and installation work. The studio has international reach, with projects delivered across the UK, Germany, France, Italy, China, Turkey, Russia, Portugal, the Czech Republic, and Belgium. Recognition includes 6 golden, 17 silver, and 11 bronze design awards, plus coverage in 80+ publications, and the founders' appointment as Creative Ambassadors of Den Haag.

Name

Trapped in Suburbia

Legal name

Trapped in Suburbia

Website

https://trappedinsuburbia.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Trapped in Suburbia is a Dutch boutique design studio founded in 2003, specializing in exhibition design, immersive installations, and interactive experiences for museums, cultural institutions, and commercial brands across Europe and Asia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Exhibition and Experience Design Services: Project-based professional services revenue generated through the design of exhibitions, immersive experiences, interactive installations, and spatial designs for museums, cultural institutions, and commercial brands. Projects are commissioned engagements typically involving creative concept development, experience design, spatial design, graphic design, and art direction.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Trapped in Suburbia is a Dutch multidisciplinary design studio that provides exhibition design and experience design services for museums, cultural institutions, and commercial brands. The studio creates immersive and interactive exhibitions, graphic design, and leisure/hospitality environments by integrating spatial design, scenography, graphic design, and interactive installations. Projects range from large-scale museum exhibitions and immersive Instagram experiences to themed hospitality venues.

Product overview

Trapped in Suburbia is a design studio offering exhibition design and experience design services, not a unified software product. The company's portfolio consists of four core service categories: Immersive Exhibitions (where visitors observe and immerse in visual/spatial atmospheres), Interactive Exhibitions (where visitors actively participate through interactive installations), Graphic Design services, and Leisure Experiences (for hospitality and entertainment venues). Key named projects include The Upside Down Amsterdam and Berlin (large-scale Instagram-focused immersive experiences), The All Out Amsterdam (cocktail bar with entertainment), various museum exhibitions at institutions like Museum Catharijneconvent, Mauritshuis, Verzetsmuseum Amsterdam, and Museum Rembrandthuis, as well as interactive installations for festivals. The studio is led by designers Cuby Gerards and Karin Langeveld and is based in the Netherlands.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Immersive Exhibitions (Immersieve Tentoonstellingen) Exhibitions where visitors primarily observe, feel, and immerse themselves in a strong visual and spatial atmosphere, engaging multiple senses through atmosphere, color, and materials. Designed for museums, cultural institutions, and brands seeking to create sensory, atmospheric experiences.
• Interactive Exhibitions (Interactieve Tentoonstellingen) Exhibitions where visitors actively participate, discover, and play through interactive installations and multi-sensory experiences incorporating technology-enabled interactivity including VR, projections, animations, and sensor-driven responses.
• Graphic Design (Grafisch Ontwerp) Visual communication design services including branding, typographic design, and visual identity systems for exhibitions and experiences.
• Leisure Experiences Design Immersive environments for experiences, hospitality, and competitive socializing venues, including concept development, spatial design, and interior design for leisure and entertainment operators.
• The Upside Down Amsterdam Europe's largest Instagram experience with 1,500m² across 25 rooms and sets, where visitors can take photos, touch everything, and express creativity. Concept development and spatial design for the experience and adjacent restaurant.
• The Upside Down Berlin An immersive experience featuring optical illusions, upside-down rooms, and interactive spaces inspired by Berlin's rich culture and history.
• The All Out Amsterdam Ultimate cocktail bar featuring darts, shuffleboards, sjoelen, ball pit, and four private karaoke rooms, with interiors inspired by Las Vegas atmosphere.
• The Upside Down Café Café experience adjacent to Upside Down locations offering lunch, sweet treats, and freakshakes, with karaoke rooms available in Berlin.
• Hof van Nederland (Museum Dordrecht) Experience design and complete interior, design, and branding for Museum Dordrecht focusing on freedom themes through Dutch history, with interactive installations and escape tours for older children.
• De Schepping van de Wetenschap (Creation of Science) Immersive exhibition at Museum Catharijneconvent exploring the relationship between religion and science in Western Europe through centuries-old instruments, manuscripts, and artworks.
• Maria Magdalena Exhibition Exhibition at Museum Catharijneconvent exploring the mysterious Mary Magdalene through historical sources, artworks, and popular culture using innovative lighting and projections.
• Roofkunst – 10 Verhalen (Looted Art) Exhibition at Mauritshuis revealing the complex struggles of museums with stolen art through virtual reality experiences and video installations by Jongsma + O'Neill.
• Explosiegevaar! (Explosion Danger!) Immersive exhibition at Verzetsmuseum Amsterdam featuring 12 consecutive rooms with 3D audio tour, illustrations, projections, and animations exploring the 1943 Amsterdam population registry bombing.
• Framing Rembrandt Exhibition at Museum Rembrandthuis exploring four centuries of Rembrandt's image formation through art, documents, and objects, challenging visitors' preconceptions.
• XXS Dutch Design Exhibition for Museum voor Communicatie and PostNL featuring Dutch stamp design process, designed as one large stamp sheet with life-sized enlargements, opened by King Willem-Alexander.
• Bureaucracy Installation (Upside Down Berlin) Immersive installation for The Upside Down Berlin exploring German bureaucracy through an infinite environment of archive cabinets multiplied via mirrors and reflections.
• Serieus Grappig (Seriously Funny) Satire Exhibition Satire exhibition at Mediamuseum Beeld & Geluid exploring the boundaries of satire and humor through interactive challenges.
• The Shy Poster Installation Interactive installation depicting shyness where colorful panels gradually close when someone approaches too closely, revealing personality only when the poster feels comfortable.
• Auto Play Interactive Installation Interactive installation for Graphic Design Festival Breda featuring 25 dynamic music posters responding to movement of passing cars, cyclists, and pedestrians, creating interaction between analog and digital media.

Quantifiable outcome

• Award recognition: 6 golden, 17 silver, 11 bronze, and 18+ other design awards
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers24 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fiction FactorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing collaboration partner for immersive experiences and themed environments. Fiction Factory worked with Trapped in Suburbia on The Upside Down Berlin (Bureaucracy installation) and The All Out Amsterdam projects.
• PlanemosminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerExhibition builder partner for the 'De schepping van de wetenschap' exhibition at Museum Catharijneconvent.
• 50 LuxminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLighting design partner collaborating on exhibition projects including 'De schepping van de wetenschap' and 'Maria Magdalena' exhibitions.
• Maquette AtelierminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerModel-making and maquette partner for the 'Explosiegevaar!' exhibition at Verzetsmuseum Amsterdam and 'Serieus Grappig' at Beeld & Geluid.
• Jongsma & O'NeillcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative directors collaboration on the 'Roofkunst' exhibition at Mauritshuis, providing video installations and digital techniques.
• Jouke SchoutenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExhibition design collaboration on 'Framing Rembrandt' at Museum Rembrandthuis.
• Bram VreugdenhilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhotography collaboration on the Hof van Nederland museum redesign project.
• Daisy van KnotsenburgminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhotography collaboration on the Hof van Nederland museum redesign project.
• Studio de SchutterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating partner on The Upside Down Berlin project.
• IssosminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner on The All Out Amsterdam cocktailbar and entertainment venue project.
• Koen HerfstminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDrummer collaborating on the 'Auto Play' interactive installation for Graphic Design Festival Breda, creating interaction between analog and digital media.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Moment Factory: Montreal-based multimedia experience studio producing immersive installations for museums, public spaces, and brands globally. Comparable in immersive storytelling, multisensory installations, and museum commissions, though significantly larger in scale and geographic reach.
• teamLab: Japanese interdisciplinary art collective operating permanent immersive digital art museums globally. Comparable in immersive, multisensory, tech-enabled installations for museums and leisure venues, but vastly larger scale and franchised model.

Direct peers

• Tinker Imagineers: Dutch experience design studio specializing in immersive exhibitions, themed environments, and brand experiences for museums and leisure venues across Europe. Direct peer given overlapping Dutch base, museum client base, and immersive exhibition design offering.
• Tellart: Experience design studio creating interactive installations, branded environments, and museum experiences. Comparable in interactive installations, sensor-driven experiences, and museum/cultural institution client base.
• Local Projects: New York-based experience design firm known for museum exhibitions, interactive installations, and narrative environments. Directly comparable in museum exhibition design, interactive installations, and spatial storytelling for cultural institutions.
• PlayLab: Design and architecture studio focused on experiential retail, immersive brand spaces, and installations. Comparable in experience design for brands and immersive commercial environments, though primarily US-based.

Emerging players

• Refik Anadol Studio: Media artist and studio creating data-driven immersive installations and AI-based sculptures for museums and cultural institutions. Comparable in immersive, museum-grade experiences and high-profile cultural venue deployments.
• Random International: London-based studio known for large-scale interactive and immersive installations such as 'Rain Room.' Comparable in museum-grade immersive installations and interactive technology-driven experiences.

Regional players

• Studio DRIFT: Dutch contemporary art and design studio creating large-scale immersive installations and experiential works. Comparable in Dutch creative scene, immersive installation work, and museum/cultural exhibitions, though more art-driven than service-driven.
• Hollander Design Collective: Dutch interior and experience design studio delivering immersive brand spaces, hospitality venues, and cultural environments. Comparable in Dutch market focus, immersive leisure/hospitality design, and multidisciplinary studio model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/trappedinsuburbia
• LinkedInnl.linkedin.com/in/karinlangeveld
• Instagraminstagram.com/trappedsuburbia
• Pinterestpinterest.com/TrappedinSuburbia
• Xx.com/trappedsuburbia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Trapped in Suburbia