After completing their Masters in Architecture at the Royal College of Art, Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby founded BarberOsgerby in 1996 and Universal Design Studio Ltd in 2001. They have worked for a diverse range of international clients including Cappellini, Magis, Flos, ClassiCon, Venini, Isokon Plus and Swarovski.

Following numerous awards, the pair were honoured in 2007 with a distinction, Royal Designers for Industry, by the Royal Society of Arts. Their work is on display in the permanent collections of the Victoria & Albert Museum and Design Museum in London, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Art Institute of Chicago.