Playtop
“Protecting our planet through responsible recycled playground flooring.”
Playtop provides safer, sustainable surfacing solutions for playgrounds, sports courts and leisure facilities. Its products are made from recycled tyre casings, offering durability, safety and environmental responsibility.
Playtop wanted to create a bespoke digital calculator that would allow clients – and its own international sales team – to accurately plan, cost and order surfacing for different projects. The system needed to handle a broad range of variables, including colour customisation, material composition, area sizing and installation guidance.
Getting it right first time was key in avoiding waste and ensuring commercial accuracy. Ultimately, the goal was to simplify a complex process, making it easier for clients to get the right specification and pricing, whether they were surfacing a small school playground or a large-scale recreational facility.
The completed calculator has proven itself as a mission-critical tool for Playtop’s business. By turning a previously manual, error-prone process into a precise digital experience, it gives the sales team total confidence in their specifications and pricing. The tool has also improved customer satisfaction, by helping clients make faster, more informed decisions.
Internally, the calculator has saved significant admin time, streamlining quoting and pricing processes that previously required multiple manual checks. Playtop now has a robust foundation to continue scaling up, as the future-proof tool can adapt to new markets, materials and client expectations.
The discovery phase was critical. Speed worked closely with Playtop to explore how clients currently ordered, customised and received surfacing products.
We started by mapping out detailed user flows for different types of client. Some preferred to create their own bespoke colour mixes, selecting materials and quantities from scratch. Others needed recommendations or wanted standard colour options for simplicity – and these differences needed to be reflected in the tool.
We also factored in product nuances like variations in surfacing material types, combinations and finish options, so users could build exactly what they needed. Because Playtop operates internationally, the calculator needed to work seamlessly across three currencies: sterling, euros and US dollars, while accounting for differing tax rules. And, for certain clients, the system needed to support individual pricing tiers and unique terms.
Given so much complexity, we chose not to go straight from idea to build. Instead, we developed a working prototype to test the logic and UX. This allowed us to simulate different user paths and work with the client to carefully test each journey. The interface itself was designed to be clear, intuitive and responsive, making it easy to use both for the Playtop sales team and clients direct.
Our approach focused on flexibility and accuracy. Rather than creating a one-size-fits-all experience, we designed a tool that could adapt to a variety of user needs, from custom builds to quick pre-configured selections.
By starting with a functional prototype, we could explore and refine user logic before committing to full development. This process helped us fix edge cases, reduce unnecessary steps, and create a user journey that felt smooth and intuitive.
We paid close attention to interface design, making sure the tool was simple to use without compromising on the detail behind it. With built-in logic for pricing, tax, and multiple currencies, the final product is easy to navigate on the surface, while handling complex configurations in the background. It supports both external users and the Playtop team, delivering total efficiency and clarity.
