Map Project Office

What Map Project Office does

Map Project Office is a London-based industrial design consultancy founded in 2012 by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby. The studio operates a "design through making" methodology, translating strategic briefs into physical prototypes via an in-house workshop to enable rapid iteration, and works across physical product design, systems design, and experiential design. Its portfolio spans quantum computing hardware for IBM (Quantum System One launched 2019, Quantum System Two unveiled December 2023 with global rollout from summer 2025), AI hardware (NorthPole enclosure and AI Hardware vision for IBM Research in 2024), consumer electronics (Sky Glass, Sonos design language, Yandex smart home products), public infrastructure (Transport for London Elizabeth Line interior identity serving 300,000+ daily passengers), and speculative design (Smart Aid Kit, Sonic Heirloom, Cognitive Bloom). Clients include IBM, Google Seed Studio, Sky, Sonos, Yandex, Honda, Transport for London, Science Museum, and New Balance, alongside smaller startup engagements such as Dashel and BleepBleeps.

The studio is a subsidiary of AKQA Group / WPP, shares floor space at 1 St John's Lane with sister practices Universal Design Studio and Made Thought as part of The New Standard collective, and is led creatively by co-founders Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby alongside Creative Directors Emilie Robinson and Angus Dick. Revenue is generated entirely through project-based B2B consultancy fees, with client acquisition driven by reputation, awards recognition (D&AD, Red Dot, iF, ADC, The One Show), editorial coverage in publications including Dezeen and Fast Company, thought leadership content such as the Where Next? podcast, and referrals from its enterprise network.

Operations are anchored in a single London headquarters but engagements are delivered globally, including deployments of IBM Quantum System Two to US, European, and Asian sites plus prior installations of Watson IoT HQ in Munich. AI/ML is treated as a design material rather than a core competency — Map designs the physical and experiential layers surrounding AI systems and embeds AI in speculative concept products, but does not build, train, or commercialize AI models itself.

Name

Map Project Office

Legal name

Map Project Office

Website

https://mapprojectoffice.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Map Project Office is a London-based industrial design consultancy founded in 2012 by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby, designing physical products, systems, and experiences for global brands including IBM, Google, Sky, and Sonos across AI hardware, quantum computing, consumer electronics, and speculative design.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131)

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC)

Keywords

• Industrial design services
• Product design consultancy
• Strategic design
• Design through making
• Systems design

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Industrial Design Consultancy Services: Map Project Office generates revenue through project-based design consultancy engagements. They partner with clients to deliver industrial design, product design, systems design, and experiential design projects ranging from small everyday objects to visionary systems. Revenue is earned through fees for design services, workshops, and ongoing collaborative partnerships with clients across diverse sectors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Map Project Office is a creative consultancy that delivers strategic industrial design, product design, systems design, and experiential design services for ambitious clients ranging from startups to global brands. They partner with clients to translate ideas into physical products, spaces, and experiences through a 'design through making' methodology supported by an in-house prototyping workshop, working across scales from everyday objects to visionary systems.

Product overview

Map Project Office is an industrial design studio defining new ways of interacting with technologies. They take a strategic approach to designing products, systems, and spaces, working across diverse fields from small everyday objects to visionary systems. Their portfolio includes quantum computing systems (IBM Quantum System One, Quantum System Two), AI hardware (NorthPole enclosure, AI Hardware vision for IBM Research), consumer electronics (Sky Glass television, Sonos design language), healthcare technology (Smart Aid Kit with generative AI, Cognitive Bloom device), smart home products (Yandex smart home ecosystem), transportation design (Elizabeth Line interiors, London 2012 Olympic Torch), and various consumer products (Dashel helmet, Kano Computer Kit, Beeline navigation). They partner with ambitious clients from startups to global brands and maintain an in-house workshop for prototyping. Their process is rigorous, strategic, and exploratory, translating ideas into physical prototypes through making.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IBM Quantum System One Design Industrial design of the enclosure and identity for IBM's Quantum System One, the world's first fully integrated quantum computer. Designed for IBM Quantum in collaboration with Universal Design Studio.
• IBM Quantum System Two Design Industrial design of the enclosure for IBM's Quantum System Two, the world's first modular utility-scale quantum computer system, designed in collaboration with IBM Quantum and Universal Design Studio.

Quantifiable outcome

• IBM Quantum System One became the world's first fully integrated quantum computer and recognisable IBM brand icon
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

26 partnerships are on record, tiered core, key and supporting.

• IBM ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term strategic partnership since 2016 with multiple flagship projects including NorthPole AI chip hardware enclosure, Quantum System One (world's first fully integrated quantum computer), Quantum System Two (modular utility-scale quantum computer), AI Hardware vision, and Watson IoT HQ installations. Partnership continues to evolve, shaping next generation of intelligent systems.
• Universal Design StudiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister practice and founding partner in The New Standard collective. Collaborated on IBM Quantum System One, Quantum System Two, Science Museum entrance desks, and New Balance flagship stores. Studios share floor space and influence each other's work, creating coherent and consistent design outcomes.
• Google Seed StudiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on Little Signals, a series of six interaction experiments exploring calm technology and ambient computing for the home. Google Seed Studio is a strategic design and innovation team focused on advanced concepts for Google hardware devices.
• ModemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to develop Smart Aid Kit, a speculative medical toolkit enabling basic triage through generative AI and purpose-built hardware. Project addresses universal healthcare access for the half of the world's population lacking essential health services.
• YandexkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerTwo-year collaboration to develop strategic direction and hardware design for Yandex's consumer smart home product range built around virtual assistant Alice. Included acoustic engineering and physical representation of the voice assistant.
• SkykeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Sky's in-house hardware team to design and deliver Sky Glass, Sky's first television for the streaming age. Developed new ownable design language for Sky hardware that has shaped Sky's future product roadmap.
• SonoskeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to define next generation of product and packaging design through research and workshops. Developed new visual language and industrial design direction, including reinterpretation of Sonos 'squircle' form. Work laid groundwork for new design system starting with Sonos Amp.
• Barber OsgerbycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMap was founded by Barber Osgerby's Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby in 2012. As an independent yet connected practice, Map shares and respects Barber Osgerby's design principles. Collaborated on Elizabeth Line project with Transport for London.
• FatherkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Sonic Heirloom, a speculative object capturing and preserving meaningful moments through sound and memory. Father provided sound design for the project combining physical and audible elements.
• HondakeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpeculative project with Creative Director Morihiro Harano imagining seven autonomous concept vehicles for 'The Great Journey' inspired by earliest human migration. Vehicles designed with Honda innovations including autonomous driving, fuel cells, robotics, and solar tech.
• Transport for LondonkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Barber Osgerby and TfL to create human-scale interior identity for Elizabeth Line carriages, one of Europe's most significant recent infrastructure projects serving 300,000 passengers daily.
• Space10keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Solar Essentials - designing a Solar Home System with solar panel, control unit, and compatible products to help low-income households in India access clean, reliable energy.
• DashelkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to create a slim, lightweight bicycle helmet for modern urban cyclists using carbon fibre shell and multi-impact foam. Handmade in UK by family-run workshop. Design meets safety standards while offering refined, low-profile aesthetic.
• GraphcorekeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Pentagram (Jody Hudson-Powell and Luke Powell) to design distinctive modular enclosure for Graphcore's Intelligent Processing Unit. Inspired by brand's 'resolution' visual identity with hexagonal tiles creating near-infinite configurations.
• New BalancekeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Universal Design Studio to reimagine interiors of New Balance's global stores. Created iconic motion flags handcrafted by New England Flag & Banner, representing brand's ethos of craft, community, and performance.
• Science MuseumkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerRedesigned entrance area of London Science Museum with Universal Design Studio. Created Fundraiser Desk and Information Desk in mirror-polished stainless steel, resulting in 80% increase in voluntary donations and 67% increase in guidebook sales.
• BleepBleepskeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreated Suzy Snooze - reimagined baby monitor combining monitor, nightlight, sleep trainer and music player. Developed with sleep scientists from Sleepio, Hirsch & Mann on light behaviours, world-class DJ for lullabies, and Wearehive on app. Product designed for mass production.
• BeelinekeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesigned Beeline Bicycle Compass - smart navigation device using magnetometer, gyroscope, and accelerometer with e-paper display. Product connects via Bluetooth and launched with £150k Kickstarter campaign.
• YamahakeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Yamaha and Japan Creative to prototype directional sound installation using Yamaha's Thin, Light, Flexible (TLF) speaker technology. Created immersive experience with focused sound across long distances.
• Joseph JosephkeyOthersCreated GoEat - reconfigurable set of modular lunch containers and cutlery designed for modern on-the-go lifestyles. Features reversible lid system for food separation and compact storage.
• Fortnum & MasonkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerRevived the Tritensil - combination knife, spoon and fork originally from 1914 catalogue. Redesigned for modern takeaway and picnic culture in stainless steel (reusable) and bio-based plastic (single-use) versions, reducing weight by 46% and carbon emissions by 50%.
• SabikeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreated Sabi Space - cohesive accessible bathroom range with universal fixing system capable of holding up to 45kg. Includes 10 modular products from storage to grab rails, designed for tool-free installation and users of all ages.
• KanokeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesigned Kano Computer Kit - build-it-yourself computer based on Raspberry Pi for young coders. Combined product and packaging into cohesive educational experience with custom keyboard, transparent case, and expandable design.
• Vok DamssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner with Universal Design Studio and IBM Research on IBM Watson IoT Headquarters in Munich, developing installations and spaces to make Watson IoT intuitive, physical, and human.
• Chanwoo Lee / Lovelace ResearchkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Cognitive Bloom - personal domestic AI device for self-reflection using garden metaphor. Speculative project exploring how AI can foster cognitive wellbeing and help individuals reconnect with what matters most.
• Made ThoughtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of The New Standard collective with Map and Universal Design Studio. Studios share floor space at 1 St John's Lane, London, fostering interdisciplinary learning and collaboration while maintaining unique specialisms.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• IDEO: IDEO is the most iconic global industrial design and innovation consultancy, directly comparable to Map Project Office's combination of strategy-led design, physical prototyping, and work across consumer electronics, transportation, and public-sector clients.
• Ammunition Group: Ammunition Group, founded by designer Robert Brunner, is a strategy-led industrial design studio of comparable size working with global brands on consumer electronics and product design. Closely aligned with Map's positioning at the premium end of design consultancies.
• Pentagram: Pentagram is a partner-level design firm working across brand, product, and digital design for global enterprises. Map has actually collaborated with Pentagram (e.g., Graphcore IPU enclosure with Jody Hudson-Powell and Luke Powell), positioning the two as direct peers in the elite industrial design tier.
• Made Thought: Made Thought is the third member of The New Standard collective alongside Map and Universal Design Studio, sharing office space at 1 St John's Lane. Comparable in scale and focus on brand-led design for ambitious global clients.
• Smart Design: Smart Design is a strategy-led industrial design consultancy with comparable size, methodology, and enterprise technology client base. Direct competitor for premium product design engagements in consumer electronics, healthcare, and smart home categories where Map also operates.
• NewDeal Design: NewDeal Design is a San Francisco-based industrial design studio of comparable size working with technology clients on consumer hardware, wearables, and connected devices. Direct competitor for the same premium product design engagements Map targets.
• Universal Design Studio: Universal Design Studio is Map's sister practice within The New Standard collective and a frequent co-development partner on projects including IBM Quantum System One/Two, Science Museum entrance desks, and New Balance flagships. Directly comparable in client base, scale, and design methodology.

Broad incumbents

• Wolff Olins: Wolff Olins is a global brand and design consultancy within Omnicom. Comparable in working with ambitious global enterprise clients on design-led transformation, though broader in scope (brand strategy, identity) rather than industrial design.
• Designworks (BMW Group): Designworks is a strategic design consultancy owned by BMW Group with studios in LA, Munich, and Shanghai. Comparable in working across mobility, consumer products, and technology, though broader and corporate-owned versus Map's boutique positioning.
• Frog Design: Frog (now part of Capgemini Engineering) is a long-established industrial design and innovation consultancy with a comparable focus on physical product, systems, and experience design for technology clients. Larger scale and broader service portfolio than Map, but overlapping target customers and methodology.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Map Project Office