Kate Deng, Creative Strategist and founder of Design Your Escape, has developed an innovative approach to retail revitalisation through phygital gamification, transforming after-hours showrooms and underused retail spaces into dynamic, engaging environments. Her unique mobile escape games integrate brand storytelling with interactive experiences, helping businesses across Singapore and Malaysia boost customer engagement and drive meaningful connections with their products and services.
Deng’s journey into phygital gamification began unexpectedly during a Christmas season when she created a custom escape game for her church group. The overwhelming positive response sparked requests for birthday celebrations and special occasions, leading to her pivotal realisation that this could revolutionise quiet retail environments. Her first commercial application in a furniture showroom yielded remarkable results, with players naturally exploring the space, discovering product features and transforming from passive browsers into engaged potential customers.
The effectiveness of gamification in retail has been validated by extensive industry research. According to Deloitte Digital’s recent studies, businesses implementing gamification strategies see customer engagement increases of up to 47% and brand loyalty improvements of 22%. Deng’s methodology amplifies these benefits by creating custom experiences that seamlessly integrate real products and brand narratives into puzzle-solving adventures.
What sets Deng’s approach apart from traditional escape rooms is how mobile and brand-focused her games are. Instead of being tied to a fixed venue, her phygital experiences, blending physical spaces with digital storytelling, are fully portable and easy to adapt. These games turn real spaces into immersive adventures. Each one is thoughtfully crafted to match the brand’s identity, using actual products and company stories as part of the puzzles to encourage meaningful exploration.
One memorable example took place during an early game in a furniture showroom. At first, participants browsed casually, but once the game began, they quickly turned into active explorers. Players started examining sofa mechanisms, checking cushions for hidden clues, and noticing product features they would normally miss. When one team unlocked an expandable sofa, the thrill came not just from cracking the puzzle, but from truly understanding how the product worked.
Deng’s expertise draws from her distinguished background as a Top 10 Female Interior Designer in Singapore in 2022, where she successfully scaled and exited her design company before transitioning into experiential design. Her spatial storytelling skills and user experience background enable her to create environments that spark curiosity and foster genuine connections between brands and customers.
While Design Your Escape is a new platform, Deng is no stranger to the business community; she has previously spoken at entrepreneurship events where notable figures such as Robert Kiyosaki, Nick Vujicic, and Kevin O’Leary were also featured. Her entrepreneurial insights have been captured in her Amazon bestseller “Design Your Escape,” which chronicles her journey from business setbacks to sustainable success while providing practical strategies for startups.
Deng’s services are ideal for retail owners, brand managers, and showroom operators who want to stand out. Many face low foot traffic and limited ways to keep people interested. Her solution helps them repurpose their existing space, without large investments or permanent fixtures.
Moving forward, Deng hopes to grow the phygital gamification movement beyond Singapore. She is working on scalable toolkits, online courses and strategic partnerships that can help bring her method to businesses of all sizes across Southeast Asia. She also plans to launch an annual international escape game tournament, where creative storytelling meets brand education.
The Design Your Escape platform offers public games on Eventbrite Singapore, as well as custom brand experiences for businesses looking to transform their spaces through storytelling. For retailers and business owners seeking to revitalise their customer interactions, Deng’s message is compelling: any space can become a powerful storytelling tool for growth, connection, and brand discovery through strategic game design.
About Kate Deng:
Kate Deng is a Creative Strategist of Design Your Escape, specialising in phygital gamification for retail and business environments. Formerly recognised as a top female interior designer in Singapore, Deng successfully transitioned from spatial design to experiential storytelling after exiting her company. She is the author of Amazon bestseller “Design Your Escape” and has participated in entrepreneur-focused events with speakers such as Robert Kiyosaki and Kevin O’Leary. Through her innovative phygital escape games, Deng helps businesses transform passive customer interactions into engaging brand experiences.
Live Games: https://DesignYourEscape.eventbrite.com
Contact: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-deng/