Within the NEOZ studio, few people have seen the company evolve as closely as Design Manager Gabriel Tam. Over the past decade, he has played a central role in the design of the current generation of NEOZ cordless lamps, moving towards new forms, new collaborations, and new technical possibilities.
He has also been guiding a quieter progression inside the studio: advancements in serviceability, operational reliability, and design management that are shaping the future for cordless lighting in high-demand hospitality environments.
We sat down with Gabriel to reflect on a year of development and to look ahead at what 2026 may bring for materials, production, and the evolving expectations of the global hospitality world.
Over the past decade, Gabriel has played a key role in the successful delivery of NEOZ's complex in-house projects and custom-tailored client projects.
When you look back at 2025, which moments stand out to you as most representative of who NEOZ is, and where it is heading?
For our design and engineering team, the last few years have been dedicated to perfecting the technological foundation of our light engine system. In 2025, we truly began to see the fruits of that labour. While we have seen exceptional market reception for our recent launches like the Manhattan and Piccolo, a personal highlight was certainly debuting the Corner Light at the Tate Modern during London Design Week, a standout moment for our brand’s global presence.
However, it is the work behind the scenes that excites me most. We have achieved significant breakthroughs in lamp security and fleet management in the past year. These new innovations provide a level of operational confidence that will be a game-changer for our hospitality clients, particularly those navigating the complexities of high-traffic outdoor venues.
Now that the Corner Light is out in the world, how do you look back on that collaborative project? Was it a unique or different experience?
Collaborating with Fabio and Darren from There’s Light was a remarkably seamless experience; their creative energy was perfectly matched by a shared commitment to quality. The Corner Light represents a significant pivot in our design philosophy and a glimpse into our future roadmap.
It marks our move toward a more collaborative model, where we invite external perspectives to challenge and evolve our established aesthetic. By embracing these diverse design languages, we are ensuring NEOZ remains relevant across an even broader spectrum of global hospitality venues.
Inspired by There’s Light’s Corner Bar at Tate Modern, the Corner Light is a limited-edition cordless lamp created in collaboration with London’s award-winning studio There’s Light and NEOZ.
What guides your design decision-making? When you are choosing between two viable design options, what usually decides it for you?
Exceptional design is the honest intersection of form, function, and manufacturability. I believe an object should never pretend to be something it is not — it should respect its materials and its intended purpose. At NEOZ, we prioritise thoroughness in our detailing; the goal is to create a product that is effortless on the eye and perfectly proportioned, one that does not scream for attention until you interact with it.
When choosing between two viable paths, the decision usually rests on longevity. We aim for both physical and aesthetic endurance. If a design can be manufactured efficiently and sustainably without losing that timeless quality, that is the path we take. It is about creating designs that feel as relevant a decade from now as they do today.
What are some of the key considerations when designing for hospitality? How do you approach designing for a smoother hospitality workflow?
Designing for hospitality requires a shift in mindset. You are not just designing a lamp; you are managing a fleet of high-value business tools. In a premium restaurant or hotel, where you may have 50 to 100 units in operation, the logistics of maintenance are as critical as the light quality itself. This is why we have remained committed to our dedicated recharging station solution. While the initial investment is higher, it eliminates the “one lamp, one cable” mentality. In a high-pressure hospitality environment, cables are the enemy of efficiency — staff should not be burdened with the manual upkeep of dozens of individual power leads at the end of a gruelling shift.
Our engineering focus is on longevity and serviceability. We ensure a minimum 12-hour runtime to cover double-shifts, even years into the product’s life cycle. Because we design for a global market, modularity is key — every part of a NEOZ cordless lamp is user-replaceable, from the Li-ion batteries to the external diffusers. We also select materials like PVD-coated stainless steel for our Piccolo range specifically to withstand the rigours of food-and-beverage environments. As for the age-old industry challenge of anti-theft? We have been working on a solution that I believe will finally solve the problem — more on that very soon.
Beyond aesthetics, the Piccolo incorporates UL-certified 75% post-consumer recycled plastic for the lamp base's modular structure and recharging system.
Has anything you have seen this year changed the way you think about materials, production, or how you want to approach future designs?
Like many creative fields, AI has fundamentally recalibrated our industrial design workflow in 2025. To be clear, AI has not necessarily made the job easier, but it has certainly made it deeper. By automating the more labour-intensive aspects of the process, such as basic visualisation and rendering, we can now explore a far greater volume of iterations in a fraction of the time.
This efficiency allows us to focus our energy on the “why” rather than just the “how.” We can now present new concepts with much richer context and visual storytelling, ensuring that our hospitality clients can truly visualise how a NEOZ cordless lamp integrates into their specific environments. It has shifted our focus back to high-level problem-solving and refined detailing, where the real value of design lies.
What are you excited to see more of in the design world in 2026?
In 2026, I am excited to see the design world move beyond aesthetic sustainability into true material science. We are seeing a shift toward bio-based alternatives, such as carbon-negative algae plastics and mycelium-based leathers, moving from experimental prototypes into scalable production.
More importantly, 2026 marks the beginning of the end for greenwashing. With the implementation of the EU’s Circular Economy Act, we will see the rollout of Digital Product Passports. These will provide a transparent cradle-to-grave record for every gram of material, detailing its origin and, crucially, its disassembly path. This regulatory shift forces brands to design for a second life. Because sustainability and serviceability have always been the bedrock of NEOZ’s philosophy, I believe we are exceptionally well-positioned to lead in this new era of radical transparency. 2026 is shaping up to be an exciting time for NEOZ.
