Gallery: The Design Duo Behind Better Sporks and a New Olympic Torch
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London design duo Barber Osgerby—made of Ed Barber and Jay Osgerby—have made a career probing some of the lesser-frequented corners of design—like reimagining the lowly spork, with the Tritensil design pictured here.
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There are a handful of cheap, build-it-yourself personal computers out there, but Kano might be the prettiest, thanks to the work done at MAP, one of Barber and Osgerby's design studios.
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The innards of a computer are, typically, a confusing mess. By simplifying the circuitry and pieces of Kano, and adding a splash of toy-like color, MAP made it easier for kids to learn how this stuff works.
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For Virgin Atlantic airlines, MAP did an overhaul on the in-flight meal trays. Their more compact tray reduced storage needs by 25 percent, and a tiny hook on the trays makes it easier for flight attendants to grab and distribute trays in cramped spaces.
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Barber and Osgerby attribute their success to a deep, native curiosity about materials and manufacturing. Before new projects, they always visit the manufacturing facilities that will produce their work. This led them to curating the exhibit *In The Making* at the London Design Museum.
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It features everyday objects plucked from different points of completion—or incompletion—on their respective assembly lines.
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Barber and Osgerby's other design outfit, Universal Design Studio, handles more of the architectural and interior design projects. Here, an interior shot of their work on the Ace Hotel in London's Shoreditch neighborhood.
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As for right now? This week, Barber Osgerby will be at the London Design Festival, where they’re launching a coffee table book of their work from the past four years, and, more importantly, receiving the London Design Medal.
