Creative Duos - Design Through Collaboration
Creative Duos - Design Through Collaboration
Design is often seen as the work of individual visionaries, but many iconic creations have come from duos or groups. From family dynasties to lifelong partners and purely professional partnerships, collaboration is an important driving force behind design history.
Sometimes the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This is particularly true of design groups, where different aesthetic ideals, experiences, and personalities can blend into outstanding results.
By challenging the myth of the solitary genius, they highlight the importance of collective vision and shared creativity.
Some design groups literally share the same DNA. One example is the Thonet family. In 1853, Michael Thonet founded the company Gebrüder Thonet with his five sons, producing classics such as the N. 1 Chair, initially made for the Palais Schwarzenberg in Vienna.
Others, such as Charles and Ray Eames, were partners both in life and at work. Their fibreglass chairs from the 1950s helped define mid-century modernism, when plastic became widely accepted as a furniture material.
More commonly, design groups consist of design professionals who either meet at design school or decide to join forces when establishing a studio early in their careers.
Here are some historical and contemporary duos and groups who have created design history together:
Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni
Brothers Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni both trained as architects in Milan but soon devoted their talents to industrial design. Their joint studio originally included a third brother, Livio, but from 1952 and onwards Achille and Pier Giacomo worked as a duo. Together, they created enduring classics such as the Arco lamp, designed for Flos in 1962, the stool Sella with its bicycle saddle seat for producer Zanotta (1957).
Lindau & Lindekrantz
Designers Börge Lindau and Bo Lindekrantz met at the Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts and Design in Stockholm in the early 1960s and founded their own studio in 1963. Their work is often characterised by a combination of playfulness, ergonomics, and rational industrial production, exemplified by the S70 series for producer Lammhults. In the early 1980s, Lindau and Lindekrantz went their separate ways, after which Börge Lindau co-founded the furniture company Blå Station.
Dranger & Huldt
Swedish design duo Jan Dranger & Johan Huldt is perhaps less known than contemporaries Lindau & Lindekrantz, but their work from the 1970s is a perfect illustration of the democratic and ideological ideals of the time. During the 1970s, architects Jan Dranger and Johan Huldt worked on collective projects that challenged the commercial furniture industry, advocating instead for open systems and do-it-yourself solutions. Today, they are remembered primarily for their didactic and socially engaged approach, but their work is characterised by a strong design language that deserves renewed attention.
Färg & Blanche
Like Charles and Ray Eames, Swedish-French design duo Färg & Blanche share both a design studio and family life. Working together since 2010, Emma Marga Blanche and Fredrik Färg have pioneered methods such as “wood tailoring,” where heavy-duty sewing machines are used to stitch upholstery directly onto wooden frames. Drawing inspiration from fashion, they “dress” their furniture in a way that gives it a distinctive and instantly recognisable look.
TAF Studio
Swedish design studio TAF, founded in 2002 by Gabriella Lenke (previously Gustafson) and her business partner Mattias Ståhlbom, has carved out a niche for themselves in between product design and architecture. They work in a minimalist tradition, but often with a playful twist that gives their products a recognisable identity. They have also left a mark in their hometown of Stockholm, designing side tables and shelves for the renovated Nationalmuseum. Their client list includes a variety of well-known producers, from Artek to String Furniture, Muuto and Gärsnäs.
Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec
Family ties are sometimes a great foundation for collaboration. In the late 1990s, brothers Erwan and Ronan Bouroullec founded their studio in Paris. Their breakthrough came with products for Italian manufacturer Cappellini, followed by collaborations with international producers such as Vitra, Hay, Magis, Flos, and Ligne Roset. Known for balancing human warmth and industrial precision in their design work, the brothers worked together for nearly 25 years before deciding to part ways in 2024, stating that the intense energy between them became overbearing.
Design history is full of duos and groups whose combined talents shaped iconic furniture and products. From the Thonet family and Charles & Ray Eames to Färg & Blanche and the Bouroullec brothers, collaboration has often defined design’s greatest achievements.
