About
Trapped in Suburbia
Exhibition and experience designers
The design duo Trapped in Suburbia creates worlds you can feel. Their roots lie in graphic design, where stories, visual language, and imagination converge. From this foundation, they combine graphic, branding, spatial, and interactive design into a single whole.
They believe that true connection comes from involvement:
Tell me and I'll forget, show me and I may remember, involve me and I'll understand.
From exploding posters to mist-filled exhibitions, Trapped in Suburbia is known for designs that excite, surprise, and linger. Their curiosity, playfulness, and love of experimentation have earned them the nickname "the Harry Potters of design."
From their studio and on-site at clients' locations, Cuby Gerards and Karin Langeveld work on exhibition design, experience design, and installations for museums, brands, and cultural institutions. Always with one goal: to create meaningful experiences that move people.
Clinets
Museums
Design Museum Den Bosch
Humboldt Forum Berlin
Instituut voor Beeld en Geluid
Mauritshuis
Museum Boijmans van Beuningen
Museum Catharijneconvent
Museum Dordrecht
Museum van Communicatie
Museum het Rembrandthuis
Museum Rijswijk
Nationaal Archief
Nemo Science Museum
Noordbrabants Museum
Rijksmuseum Boerhaave
Rijksmuseum
Spoorwegmuseum
Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam
Verzetsmuseum Amsterdam
Zaans Museum
Cultural
BIS Publishers
Droog Design
EKWC
Graphic Design Festival Breda
Nai 101 publishers
Uitgeverij TerraLannoo
de VPRO
Brands
Ahold Delhaize
Albron
Alliander
Cordaid
Heineken
Hogeschool van Amsterdam
Magnum
Secrid
T-mobile
The Upside Down
PostNL
Unilever
Awards and recognitions
Over the years the studio has won 6 golden awards, 17 silver, 11 bronze and more than 17 other awards and honors for our various design projects. We are also proud to be appointed Creative Ambassadors of the City of The Hague.
Press, publications
The designs of Trapped in Suburbia have been published in more than 80 books and uncountable online press coverage.
Talks
Adfolive| NL
Agrafa | Katowice PO
Beyunderground Hasselt BE
Creative Circus ADCN | NL
DE.SIGN Prague | CZ
Don't believe the type | Shanghai C.N
European Design Festival | TU
FESPA Conference | GE
FinalExhibition2020 | EN
Graduation festival NT University | UK
Graphic Design Festival | NL
Graphic Talk Shanghai | CH
Istanbul Design Week| TU
Manchester Design week | UK
Out the Box | DE
Open Set | NL
PechaKucha | Amsterdam,The Hague, Breda
PrintFarm St Petersburg | RU
Plug:Conference | IT
Serifalaris | PT
Something Good | Bristol UK
Torino Graphic Days | IT
What's Up Amsterdam | NL
Zeefir7 | BNO The Hague NL
Adfolive| NL Agrafa | Katowice PO Beyunderground Hasselt BE Creative Circus ADCN | NL DE.SIGN Prague | CZ Don't believe the type | Shanghai C.N European Design Festival | TU FESPA Conference | GE FinalExhibition2020 | THE Graduation festival NT University | UK Graphic Design Festival | NL Graphic Talk Shanghai | CH Istanbul Design Week| TU Manchester Design Week | UK Out the Box | THE OpenSet | NL PechaKucha | Amsterdam,The Hague, Breda PrintFarm St Petersburg | RU Plug:Conference | IT Serifalaris | PT SomethingGood | Bristol UK Torino Graphic Days | IT What's Up Amsterdam | NL Zeefir7 | BNO The Hague NL
Teaching
Nanjing University | CH Nottingham Trent University | UK Design Institute Shanghai | C.N School of Visual Communication Haderslev | THE SummerSet Dutch Design School | NL Taiga Institute StPetersburg | RU Torino Graphic Days | Turin IT University of Aix en Provence | FR University of Augsburg | GE University College Falmouth | UK University of Istanbul | TU University of Manchester | UK University of Vienna | OS Utrecht School of the Arts | NL
Exhibitions
3Sec. gallery Academy Gallery Utrecht | NL Baetulona | E.S Beyunderground festival Hasselt BE Brasília Dice | BR Cité du design | FR Electricity festival Reims | FR Evolution/Revolution Detroit | USA Film festival Cine Prive | BE Gallery Opperclaes Amsterdam | NL Graphic Design Festival | NL Graphic Happiness | C.N Greytones 10 | NL KIKK digital arts festival | BE Maison & Objet | FR Museum of the Image | NL Pick Me Up | London | UK Poetry International Festival | NL Red Dot Design Museum | THE Royal Academy of Art | NL Shanghai World Expo CH SomethingGood | Bristol UK
Our Design Philosophy
Stories as a starting point
At Trapped in Suburbia, storytelling is everything. Stories form the foundation of every design choice. We collaborate with clients and the public as co-creators, fostering genuine engagement and lasting connections. A design is only successful when it evokes emotion, sparks curiosity, and leaves a lasting impression.
The Medium is the Message
Capturing the essence of a story and translating it into space, material, and rhythm is at the heart of our work. From sound to lighting, from typography to structure: everything reinforces the message. We strive for simplicity because it allows room for meaning. This creates an experience that feels intuitive and communicates clearly.
Space and time
Our designs invite you to explore in your own way. Some move quickly, others take the time to explore the details. This layering ensures that every visitor finds their own path. We build experiences that can be both short and intense, yet always leave a lasting impression.
Sensory immersion
We design with all the senses. By combining image, sound, scent, and materials, we create an experience that sparks the imagination and nurtures curiosity. In that balance between reality and fantasy, between feeling and reason, lies the magic that makes our projects unique.
The power of interaction
Experiences come to life through interaction. When people respond, touch, and play, a design takes on meaning. We design intuitive environments that invite participation and exchange, creating an atmosphere that is both playful and impactful.