Three abstract sculptures are displayed in a minimalist white space: a gold rectangular form, a red circular disc with a hole, and a copper wireframe structure.
“Alphabet” exhibition at the Triennale Milano, 2026. Photography by © Sandro Sodano.

September 10, 2026

Words: Dan Howarth

Barber Osgerby: How The 2012 Olympic Torch Put The Designers In The Spotlight

When the torch for the 2012 Summer Olympics was unveiled in London, Ed Barber and Jay Osgerby were also thrust into the international spotlight. But this was by no means the British designers first impactful work—nor their last. The pair met at the Royal College of Art in 1992 and, shortly after graduating, founded the industrial design–focused Barber Osgerby in 1996. “Neither of us was particularly interested in joining an established practice,” Osgerby recalls. “We were ambitious and curious, and wanted to find our own way of working.”

Over the past three decades, the duo has put its playful, thoughtful spin on almost every product category, for some of the most noted manufacturers. Among seating has been the Filo for Cappellini, draped in layers of felt, and the posture-improving Tip Ton and snaking Soft Work, both for Vitra. Then there have been rugs for Kasthall, tiles for Mutina, lamps for Flos and Galerie kreo. . .the list goes on. A variety of these were showcased in 2013 in Paris when Barber Osgerby was awarded Maison&Objet’s Designers of the Year. In 2022, the 10th anniversary of its Tobi-Ishi table for B&B Italia was celebrated with a Mario Botta–inspired edition in striped marble.

IDOLS 30 years: Barber Osgerby

  • A group of modern black chairs faces large, abstract white and red hanging light fixtures in a minimalist white room with a black upper background.
    Designers of the Year installation at Maison&Objet Paris, 2013, showing the Planform Array V chandelier and Tip Ton chairs. Photography by Stéphane Muratet.
  • Two men in an office setting, one standing and holding glasses, the other sitting and holding the back of a chair near a table with papers and cups.
    Barber Osgerby cofounders Ed Barber (left) and Jay Osgerby with their 2016 Pacific chair for Vitra. Photography by Robert Fischer.
  • Oval table with a striped green and white marble top and matching striped marble pedestal legs.
    The 10th-anniversary edition of the Tobi-Ishi table for B&B Italia, 2022, in Carrara and Verde marble. Photography by Courtesy of B&b Itali.

Along the way, Barber and Osgerby launched Universal Design Studio for architecture and interiors projects in 2001, and Map to focus on technology clients in 2012. “Separating those activities allowed each practice to develop its own expertise rather than trying to make one studio encompass everything,” Osgerby explains.

  • Stacked blue and green blankets draped over a light wooden rack, arranged in an overlapping pattern on a plain background.
    Filo, 2009, for Cappellini. Photography by Manvir Rai.
  • A close-up of yellow and white woven fabric next to a gray surface with diagonal shadows cast across both.
    BonBon rug for Kasthall, 2026. Photography by Superstudio.
  • A studio workspace with geometric patterns and colored samples displayed on shelves above a desk scattered with office supplies and papers.
    Puzzle tile prototypes for Mutina, 2026. Photography by Matteo Pastorio.
  • Open sketchbook showing abstract, minimalist line drawings of chair and furniture-like shapes in black, blue, and purple ink on both pages.
    Sketches of Axor One faucet, 2021. Photography by © Barber Osgerby Studio.
  • A modern table lamp with a vertical green rectangular base, two red cone-shaped lights on one side, and a black circular base.
    Signals lamp, 2022, for Galerie kreo. Photography by © Alexandra De Cossette/courtesy of Galerie Kreo.
  • A green table lamp sits on a white shelf above a yellow and black tape measure extended across a lower surface.
    Bellhop, 2017, for Flos. Photography by © David Brook, Shoot Studio.
  • Three abstract sculptures are displayed in a minimalist white space: a gold rectangular form, a red circular disc with a hole, and a copper wireframe structure.
    “Alphabet” exhibition at the Triennale Milano, 2026. Photography by © Sandro Sodano.
  • Office lounge with modular white seating; people are working, meeting, and relaxing, some using laptops and notebooks. The space includes desks, privacy panels, and small tables.
    Soft Work modular seating, 2018, for Vitra. Photography by Studio Akfb/© Vitra.
  • A gold, perforated torch with the Olympic rings logo near the top, tapering toward the bottom.
    The 2012 Summer Olympics torch in perforated aluminum. Photography by © Matteo Pasin @ Triennale Milano.

2026 poetically marks the end of this chapter, summarized by Osgerby as “a 30-year exploration of how materials, manufacturing, and technology can be used with economy and imagination to make useful things with a long life.” Following a blockbuster retrospective, “Alphabet,” in Milan last April—when Barber Osgerby also introduced its second bath series for Axor—the two announced that they are professionally parting ways. Both will continue to work under their own names, while their legacy as a combined force remains firmly ingrained in design history. edwardbarber.com jayosgerby.com

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