We The Curious Science Centre: Designing a space that works harder for everyone

Rethinking the front door to science, imagination — and 2,000 wet half-term visitors

We The Curious isn’t just a science centre. It’s a school trip destination, an events venue, a charity, a community hub — and sometimes a safe haven for lost kids and confused aquarium-goers.

At the heart of all this is a single space: the foyer. It needs to sell tickets, answer questions, welcome everyone (whether or not they’re buying a ticket), and feel like an invitation to explore. It also needs to be intuitive enough that people can navigate it without asking, even when it’s packed.

Over the years, the team had tried everything: moved desks, taken down walls, stuck up signs, moved the desks back again. Each fix created a new problem. Now, with a major ground floor redevelopment planned, they were ready to do things differently — and base decisions on real user insight.
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What we did‍

We used a mix of observation, interviews and co-creation to map the friction — and unlock possibilities.

• We observed how visitors moved, searched, asked and waited.
• We spoke to parents, teachers, curious locals, and kids on missions.
• We interviewed teams from across the organisation — capturing internal needs as well as public ones.
• We facilitated a collaborative workshop, using real data to shape ideas and prototypes for the next phase of design.
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What we found

The space wasn’t just struggling with volume — it was struggling with versatility. People had competing needs, different emotional states, and different levels of confidence. Most wanted to feel welcome, informed, and able to explore without friction. But the current layout made it hard.

We also spotted something important: a growing interplay between digital and physical journeys. People looked up ticket prices on their phones, checked Planetarium times online while in the building, and came in expecting the same clarity and flow they experience in digital spaces. The foyer needed to work like a good website — clear, responsive, and easy to navigate and aligned with what people had experienced online.
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The impact‍

The project gave the team a clear view of the problems — and permission to stop designing around workarounds. It helped align internal teams, surface quick wins, and frame design decisions ahead of working with exhibition architects.

Even more importantly, it set a new tone: one grounded in evidence, not assumption. From online bookings to in-person arrivals, We The Curious are now designing with the whole visitor journey in mind.
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What the team said

“We needed to know what our visitors actually wanted from the space — not just keep designing around our assumptions. This evidence gave us permission to make some difficult decisions. I’m not just blowing smoke when I say that working with Healthia was the easiest experience I’ve ever had. They delivered and absolutely exceeded our expectations.” — Service Owner, We The Curious

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