BARBER OSGERBY: PRODUCT, FURNISHING AND DESIGN
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. They have since become multi-award winners with their innovative take on product, furnishing and homeware design.
Appointed to design the London 2012 Olympic Torch the iconic piece won numerous accolades as well as the Design Museum’s ‘Design of the Year’. And it doesn’t stop there; Barber and Osgerby’s research-led practice has developed collections for Vitra, B&B Italia, Venini, Cappellini, Magis, Swarovski, Flos and Established & Sons, whilst also producing limited edition furniture and one-off works for both private and public commissions.
What do you think is the lasting responsibility of designers to the public with the products they design?
Design should be about finding a new and better way of doing something. It’s important to carefully consider the impact on the environment and create something of value that stands the test of time.
Are there any rules or habits that help you do your job more efficiently?
A clean table in a messy studio.
What are some of the most challenging and inspiring elements of your current projects?
We designed our recent project with Vitra ‘Soft Work’ to support changes in society and ways of working/living.
What is your creative process from inception to creation?
The starting point of any project is to interrogate the brief as a studio which we either work up with the manufacturer or set ourselves. We spend a lot of time sketching until an idea takes shape then test the design by producing a series of scale and 1:1 models.
What books, blogs and online resources do you use for creative inspiration?
We like to bring many new references and inputs to a project. We don’t refer to anything specifically for creative inspiration, our research is in the form of drawing and studying changes in modes of living and through our travel; being exposed to different cultures, materials and techniques. It can come from the most unlikely sources.
What is the number one piece of advice you would like to tell new designers?
The world is changing faster than ever, you have to be ready to create the solutions that the world needs.
