Internationally acclaimed designers Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby founded their eponymous studio in 1996 after graduating with Master’s degrees in Architecture from The Royal College of Art in London. From their first studio in Trellick Tower in London, they designed their first piece, the Loop Table, produced by Isokon in 1997. Much of Barber and Osgerby’s early work involved the folding and shaping of sheet material, influenced by the white card that they had used frequently in architectural model making. Plywood and perspex were used in the development of the Pilot Table, 1999, and Stencil Screen, 2000.

In 2004 the pair were awarded the Jerwood Applied Arts Prize. This led to a commission to design new pieces for the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill On Sea. Known for their use of colour, with the limited edition Iris tables, Barber and Osgerby developed a new direction, using colour as the starting point for the work. The same year saw the launch of Tab for Flos, a return to the folded form. In 2009, Barber and Osgerby launched their first major commission for Murano glassmakers, Venini which resulted in a series of unique, large-scale glass vases, created in limited editions and shown in Milan, Porto Cervo and London.

2010 saw the creation of an investigational installation at the Milan Salone del Mobile Internazionale for Sony and an exploration into experimental objects and environments. The objects explored and exploited Sony’s new innovations in sound technology to transform ordinary materials into sound-emitting objects. Barber and Osgerby’s research-led practice has developed collections for Cappellini, Magis, Vitra, Venini, Swarovski, Flos and Established & Sons, whilst also producing edition furniture and one-off works for both private and public commissions. Both professors of design, Barber and Osgerby have lectured internationally and hosted workshops at Ecal, Switzerland and the Vitra Design Museum. Their work is held in permanent collections around the world including the V&A Museum, London; the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Design Museum, London; the Art Institute of Chicago and the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Barber and Osgerby now work with the critically acclaimed Haunch of Venison gallery, London.

Alongside their eponymous studio, in 2001 Barber and Osgerby founded Universal Design Studio, now recognised as one of the world’s most innovative creative design consultancies working in architecture, interiors and exhibition design. In 2010, the pair followed this with the launch of Map, a multi-disciplinary design studio that draws on the creative and commercial skills of both BarberOsgerby and Universal Design Studio to provide design intuition, creative direction and research to ambitious clients.

Selected Awards

1998 ICFF Editors Award: Best New Designer
2001 Victoria & Albert Museum Design Awards, Home table
2003 ID Magazine Design Awards, Stella McCartney ceramic tile
2003 Design Week Award: Best Furniture Design, Stencil Screen
2003 FX Design Awards: Product of the Year, Stella McCartney ceramic tile
2004 Design Week Awards: Best Furniture Design
2004 Jerwood Prize for Applied Arts
2004 ADI Compasso d’Oro Nomination, Shell Table
2005 Blueprint Magazine: Furniture Designer of Year
2006 Homes & Gardens Classic Design Awards, Zero-In
2006 Design Basel/Miami: Designers of the Future with Established & Sons
2006 Red Dot Award: Best Product, Zero-In
2007 Royal Designers for Industry
2007 Elle Decoration Magazine: Designer of the Year
2007 Royal Designers for Industry
2008 Wallpaper*: Best Domestic Product, Bottle Table
2009 Wallpaper*: Best Floor Lamp, Tab
2010 FX Design Awards: Best Museum/Exhibition Space (Finalist), Sony
2010 Design Museum Designs of the Year (Finalist), Sony
2011 FX Design Awards: Product of the Year, Tip Ton
2011 The Chicago Athenaeum: GOOD DESIGN Award, Tip Ton
2012 D&AD Yellow Pencil (Product Design), Tip Ton
2012 Design Museum: Design of the Year, London Olympic Torch