Jeff YapIndustrial designerSelected work · 01

An adaptive station for
the next generation of esports.

A connected Galaxy experience for the athlete, the team, and the arena.

Jeff Yap + Jerome He
Shared R&D & industrial design

Galaxy × NRGMobile esports · Collaboration concept
The complete experienceFilm by Jeff Yap
The connected Galaxy ecosystemConcept architecture

Identify. Ignite.

The Galaxy Ring identifies the athlete. Personal settings return; the team identity lights up.

01 — Place the Galaxy Ring into the identification socket
01 — A personal setup, activated by the ring.
Personalization & health data +

Galaxy Ring data informs personal support. The concept recalls the athlete’s setup while linking health monitoring with the surrounding Galaxy ecosystem.

Adapt to the athlete.

The proposed support system follows posture and arm movement while preserving handheld control.

Complete the setup.

Integrated audio and concealed magnetic charging bring the Galaxy devices together.

Make the match visible.

In-game action becomes light in the arena, connecting the audience to the player.

In-game muzzle flash synchronized with the station lighting
Between actions — station underglow off
Game action → station lighting → audience response
Standby — unoccupied battlestation with lighting off
Standby → player setup recalled → game ready
Arena floor plan — arrangement for 16 teams and 64 players
Arena · 16 teams / 64 players
Training compound
Game On — final showcase view 1
Game on — the final concept, from every angle.
Esports & team identity
Creator culture
Spectrum Castle, Los Angeles
Gaming as a lifestyle
The opportunity

Improve the environment
around handheld play.

01

Preserve the controls. Support the athlete within tournament device constraints.

02

Relieve physical strain. Respond to sustained phone holding and poor playing posture.

03

Engage the room. Translate the match into physical cues beyond the overhead screen.

Research notes & next steps +

The original research considered Gen Z and Gen Alpha in North America, the shift toward mobile gaming, tournament restrictions, and athlete posture. It reported 8–12 daily training hours and musculoskeletal pain among more than 40% of esports athletes.

NRG was founded in Los Angeles in 2015. The original brand study connected esports to creator reach, the Spectrum Castle training and content space, and Fundamentals apparel. It cited over 2 billion content views in 2024, Nicholas Armstrong’s 20 million followers, and a $10 million, 20,000-square-foot Castle.

The project research cited a 26% decline in PC and console playtime since 2021, mobile gaming among 73% of Gen Alpha in North America, and 41% growth in mobile esports watch time from 2023 to 2024. It also included 2025 projections of 318 million mobile esports viewers and 548 million overall esports viewers, compared with 418 million in 2019. These are the historical figures used to frame the project, rather than updated market claims.

Next steps: validate fit across body sizes, stability, freedom of movement, tournament compatibility, and spectator understanding.

Original project research ↗
Architecture & mechanisms01
01 / Mechanism sketches — seat and framework adjustment
02 / Armrest study — contact surface, pivot and sliding track
03 / Development archive 01 — component mapping
04 / Chair mechanism reference study
05 / Exploratory phone-mount mechanism study
06 / Development archive 02 — chair references
Notes on architecture & mechanisms +

Mapping the body, the components, and the ways they move.

Mechanism and armrest studies examine contact surfaces, pivots, sliding tracks, and the relationship between seat and framework.

Design direction02
01 / Geometric Sensuality Evolved — Samsung design direction
02 / Vivid Disruption — gaming-inspired design direction
Notes on design direction +

Two mood boards set the visual language: Samsung’s Geometric Sensuality Evolved and NRG’s more vivid gaming expression.

These mood boards establish the contrast between Samsung’s restrained geometric language and NRG’s vivid, gaming-inspired energy before form development begins.

Form & proportion03
01 / Early form alternatives exploring framework silhouette and seated proportions
02 / Refined frame and seat proportions viewed around the player
03 / Framework and seat form alternatives
04 / NRG identity and form variations
05 / Front and rear proportion studies
06 / Seated proportions and frame studies
07 / Refinement of the seated form and surrounding structure
08 / Refined battlestation design directions
Notes on form & proportion +

Exploring the frame around the player. Comparing alternatives before resolving the system.

The alternatives compare silhouette, body clearance, seated proportions, and how the frame surrounds the athlete.

Surface & identity04
01 / Framework surface development — section and junction studies
02 / Annotated framework refinements and surface transitions
03 / Frame and seat design variants
04 / Detail development and framework junctions
Notes on surface & identity +

Refining contact points, transitions, and the expression of the brand.

Section changes and framework junctions bring Samsung’s refined geometry together with the expressive lighting and identity of NRG.