Before starting BroomeJenkins in 2003, Barry Jenkins had worked for many years in design consultancy across a range of sectors including consumer products, transport and urban environments.
With contract and office furniture always being a major part of his work, over the years his interest in architecture and product design evolved into an approach, which is concerned with environments and the way people use spaces. “This was key when we formed the company", says Jenkins "our aim is to occupy a space somewhere between product design and architecture – designing for manufacture as well as designing structures and spaces.”
Whilst BroomeJenkins work with Herman Miller draws on their team’s experience of the office furniture industry and understanding of the workplace – they are also involved with Local Councils and Property Companies in urban regeneration projects. This includes the Visitors Centre at Cheshire Oaks Retail Park and work at Liverpool John Lennon Airport.
Having graduated in 1979, Barry worked for ten years directly in the furniture industry as a designer with several key people including Rodney Kinsman at OMK and Geoff Hollington before joining furniture dealer – Scott Howard as design manager, where his role switched more towards marketing. Then in 1989 he returned to design consultancy, joining PSD Associates.
As a Director of PSD he worked with international clients in Europe, USA, Malaysia and Brazil including: Adshel, BAA, Virgin Atlantic, Varig, Haworth and Phillips. In 2000 the Cordiant Group acquired PSD Associates and in 2003 PSD merged with Fitch worldwide. “At this point it was clear that it was time to make a move and start my own business" Jenkins adds "a design company which was less about design discipline and more about industry sector.”
With business partner Beverley Wood, Barry’s work today covers four main sectors: Workplace, Retail, Travel and Urban Design. “We are committed to the idea of applying our knowledge of certain key sectors whilst working across a number of design disciplines from product to information design”. This approach provides a deep understanding of the client’s sector and flexibility to address the scope of a given project.
Past work has been nominated and won a number of awards including the Chicago Athenaeum Good Design Award. In 2006 BroomeJenkins won a distinction in the Caravan of the Future competition and in 2007 won an award (with and entry by Julian Evans) in the Heights of Design Competition as part of the Turin Biennale and European Capital of Design event.
In addition to running BroomeJenkins, Barry is also a visiting Lecturer on the MA furniture and related product design course at Buckinghamshire New University, and Director of the South Coast Design Forum.
