It all starts for the two on Monday mornings with two espressos and music at a large table on the first floor of their studio in Shoreditch in London's East End.

First they talk, then they draw.

And mostly quietly.

“Anyone who doesn't know us feels left out,” says Jay Osgerby.

It often takes hours before an idea – for a new chair, for example – is born.

Then we continue to file and probably also haggle.

"But the first prototype will be ready by Friday afternoon," says Edward Barber.

Is he serious?

"We're fast," replies Jay Osgerby.

“But there is no system in our work.” You mean?

“Every project is different,” says Edward Barber.

Peter Philipp Schmitt

Editor in the department "Germany and the World".

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“And we approach each project differently.” Only one thing is always the same: the two of them draw, almost constantly.

As he says, most of Jay Osgerby ends up in the trash.

Ed, on the other hand, fills entire sketchbooks.

And he apparently picks them up too.

“For posterity,” Jay Osgerby assumes and laughs.

"Maybe I should do that too." Neither of them like computers.

At least not at the beginning of their creative process.

"There's a lot more feeling involved when you draw," says Edward Barber.

Hundreds applied

At least once, Barber Osgerby, as the London designer duo have called themselves since they were students, had to deliver in just one week.

It was her greatest challenge, which at the same time made her known all over the world.

They had the honor of designing the Olympic torch for the London 2012 games.

Jay Osgerby had dreamed of this since the beginning of his studies, as he says.

At that time there was only one world-famous designer for him, the Frenchman Philippe Starck.

And he was also the first to design an Olympic torch in 1992 – for the Winter Games in Albertville, France.

"I was actually studying in Paris at the time and I just thought how great it would be to get a chance like that." The opportunity came for Barber Osgerby 13 years later.

"I was in a cab with Ed when we heard on the radio that London had been awarded the games," says Osgerby.

"And I said to Ed, 'We've got to make the torch!'"

It took five years before the organizing committee finally announced the competition.

Hundreds of designers applied, and after a long selection process, five remained.

They were invited in turn and only then were they told which requirements had to be met.

Not only did 8,000 torches have to be produced for the Olympic Games, as each torch bearer was allowed to keep his own.

The flames also had to withstand rain, snow and hail, as well as hurricane-force gusts of wind of up to 112 kilometers per hour.

They had to be flammable in sub-zero temperatures, yet light enough for children, even a centenarian, to carry for a period of time.

Of course, the torch should be full of symbols that refer to the special event.

"We thought we had a couple of weeks to do that," says Osgerby.

"However, when we asked when we should present our draft, the short answer was: Friday!"