Prototyping space SBB Sandbox

How might we enhance the value of a train station? And more specifically, how could we create a prototyping space where digital creators get the opportunity to have their unfinished products tested by people walking by?

How it all began

The vision: “Train stations will no longer be pure mobility hubs, we want to transform them into brain hubs!”

This was—and still is—the ambition of SBB, the Swiss Federal Railways. But what is a brain hub? It’s a place where people interact and create together on equal terms no matter where they are from. But how can we bring companies, initiatives and digital creators together with the everyday visitors of the main station so they can all learn from each other?

The challenge: To build a prototyping space in a prime location.

It was clear from the start that the 'SBB Sandbox' should look “fresh” and “unfinished” at the same time. To combine different perspectives from the beginning, the project team was a mix of SBB and Creaholic personnel. This combined specialised and deep understanding from SBB with the disruptive outside view of the inventors at Creaholic—together we could create something unexpected, new and different.

Our approach

The questions that had to be answered were the following:

Are digital creators interested in testing at the train station and can they learn from those passing by?
Does the experience create value for passing visitors too?
And finally, what should such a novel place look like?

To answer these questions, an iterative project plan was developed and success criteria were set. This plan was always visible in the project room and served as a compass guiding us through the different iterations of the project.

We developed the final appearance of SBB Sandbox in close collaboration with exhibition experts from Aroma . A crucial insight that we gained along the way is that it was important to create a unique visual appearance to distinguish the Sandbox from a normal SBB information booth.

Philipp Leimgruber

Project Leader, SBB

«It was a great experience working together with Creaholic and forming the SBB Sandbox team. While working on something where there is no blueprint, it was helpful to be able to trust Creaholic concerning the process and work together to reach our goal. This trust helped at times when I didn’t see how we will reach our goal. And summarized in one sentence: It was great fun!»

The result

The SBB Sandbox successfully launched for the first time in October 2018 and has evolved into a regular event at the Zurich main station ever since. You can find up-to-date information about past and upcoming appearances on the SBB Sandbox website.