From &Walsh to Zayn Malik: the story of YEYE Design Studio is proof that all great things take time

Getting a design studio off the ground is rarely a linear journey, and there’s no better example than the one of YEYE Design Studio. Founded in 2020 by married couple Matthew Roop and Dylan Chan, their location in Singapore came as a result of love amidst the pandemic, despite the former’s role at esteemed design studio &Walsh in NYC. He continued there remotely for another year in what he describes as his “masters in design,” followed by three years at crypto start-up ZEBEDEE before going all in on YEYE with Chan at the beginning of 2024. All the while, she had been busy growing the studio from the ground up, learning the frantic agency world on the go alongside a couple of freelance gigs. With Roop’s design experience and Chan an “admin genius,” the pair make for a formidable duo that now utilises an ideas-first approach for a global client list. Their story is proof that it’s rarely as straightforward as you’d like to be, but with perseverance, experience and a whole lot of love, you can succeed. EM: Hey Matthew and Dylan, how’s it going? M+D: Great! We just got back from a trip to Seoul and are gearing up for some exciting projects to close out the year. We’re also halfway through the current semester teaching design at the National University of Singapore so that’s got us quite busy as well. But we’re excited to chat!