Benjamin Hubert (born 11 March 1984) is a British industrial designer and founder of LAYER, a

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

-based design agency known for its work in

industrial design Industrial design is a process of design applied to physical Product (business), products that are to be manufactured by mass production. It is the creative act of determining and defining a product's form and features, which takes place in adva ...

. His studio has collaborated with global brands across technology, furniture, mobility, and consumer goods. Hubert studied Industrial Design and Technology at

Loughborough University Loughborough University (abbreviated as ''Lough'' or ''Lboro'' for Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a public university, public research university in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, England. It has been a university sinc ...

, graduating in 2006.

Career

Hubert established Benjamin Hubert Ltd. in 2010, which was rebranded as LAYER in 2015. LAYER was described by ''

Wallpaper Wallpaper is used in interior decoration to cover the interior walls of domestic and public buildings. It is usually sold in rolls and is applied onto a wall using wallpaper paste. Wallpapers can come plain as "lining paper" to help cover uneve ...

'' as a "transition from eponymous designer brand to a larger entity, with a wider scope and reach". LAYER has collaborated with brands such as

Airbus Airbus SE ( ; ; ; ) is a Pan-European aerospace corporation. The company's primary business is the design and manufacturing of commercial aircraft but it also has separate Airbus Defence and Space, defence and space and Airbus Helicopters, he ...

Bang & Olufsen Bang & Olufsen (B&O) is a Danish high-end consumer electronics company that designs and manufactures Sound recording and reproduction, audio products, television sets, and telephones, originally from Denmark, founded in 1925 by Peter Bang (enginee ...

Braun Braun is a surname, originating from the German language, German word for the color brown. In German, ''Braun'' is pronounced – except for the "r", equal to the English word "brown". In English, it is often pronounced like "brawn". Notable p ...

, Fritz Hansen,

Samsung Samsung Group (; stylised as SΛMSUNG) is a South Korean Multinational corporation, multinational manufacturing Conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered in the Samsung Town office complex in Seoul. The group consists of numerous a ...

, and Vitra on projects including furniture, consumer electronics, wearables, homewares, transport, and public art installations. Hubert's design practice has a focus on sustainable solutions. In 2025, Hubert hosted ''101010'', an exhibition to mark the 10th anniversary of LAYER at

10 Corso Como 10 Corso Como is a shopping and dining complex in Milan, Italy with international locations in Tokyo, Seoul, and Shanghai. It combines outlets that show and sell works of art, fashion, music, design, cuisine and culture. It was founded in 1990 by ...

during Milan Design Week, presenting a collection of prototypes addressing contemporary global challenges.

Notable Projects

Hubert has led the development of numerous projects at both Benjamin Hubert Ltd. and LAYER including: Juliet Chair for

Poltrona Frau Poltrona Frau is a furniture-maker founded in 1912 by Sardinian-born Renzo Frau in Turin, Italy, headquartered since the early 1960s in Tolentino and specializing in leather seating for interior and automotive applications. The company name comb ...

(2012) – Hubert won a competition to design a chair to celebrate the centenary of Italian furniture brand Poltrona Frau. Change Box for Maggie's (2015) – A new charity collection box for cancer charity Maggie's. GO wheelchair for

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine giv ...

(2016) – A custom-fit 3D-printed mobility device developed with Nike and Materialise. The wheelchair won a Fast Company Innovation by Design Award. Foil for Braun (2016) – An installation in the Tapestry Room of the

Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (abbreviated V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.8 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and named after Queen ...

in London in collaboration with German brand Braun during

London Design Festival London Design Festival is a citywide cultural event that takes place over nine days every September across London. It was founded by John Sorrell and Ben Evans in 2003 and will stage its 23rd edition from 13 to 21 September 2025. In an article ...

. Tape for Moroso (2018) – A modular sofa for Italian brand Moroso that launched at Milan's Salone del Mobile in April 2018. Airbus Move (2019) – A lightweight airline seating concept designed for greater efficiency and sustainability. Strand for

Muuto Muuto is a Scandinavian design company based in Copenhagen, Denmark. The product range includes furniture and other design products. History Muuto was founded by Kristian Byrge and Peter Bonnen in 2006. Byrge had previously been involved in the f ...

(2019) – A collection of lighting made using a cocoon polymer material sprayed over a steel frame. Bang & Olufsen Beosound Balance (2020) – A smart speaker integrating advanced technology with minimalist aesthetics. In 2021, Hubert collaborated with Bang & Olufsen on a second speaker, Beosound Emerge. Viture One for Viture (2022) – A wearable XR device that allows users to stream media and games discreetly anywhere, creating a 120-inch virtual screen. Ledger Stax (2023) – A cryptocurrency wallet designed by Hubert and

iPhone The iPhone is a line of smartphones developed and marketed by Apple that run iOS, the company's own mobile operating system. The first-generation iPhone was announced by then–Apple CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs on January 9, 2007, at ...

co-creator

Tony Fadell Anthony Michael Fadell (born March 22, 1969) is an American engineer, designer, entrepreneur, and investor. He was senior vice president of the iPod division at Apple Inc. and founder and former CEO of Nest Labs. Fadell joined Apple Inc. in 2 ...

. Earth Rated rebrand (2023) – A complete rebranding project for Earth Rated, including branding, packaging, and a collection of dog toys. Concept View for

Deutsche Telekom Deutsche Telekom AG (, ; often just Telekom, DTAG or DT; stylised as ·T·) is a partially state-owned German telecommunications company headquartered in Bonn and the largest telecommunications provider in Europe by revenue. It was formed in 199 ...

(2024) – A concept for a holographic home hub featuring a 3D AI-driven assistant for digital interactions.

Publications

* ''LAYER'' (2023) Phaidon.

Awards

Hubert has received multiple international design awards, including the

iF Product Design Award The iF Product Design Award was introduced in 1954 and is annually conferred by the iF International Forum Design. The award, which spans multiple disciplines, has more than 5,500 entries from around 59 nations every year. History The iF Indus ...

Red Dot Design Award The Red Dot Design Award is an international, annual design competition for product and industrial design, brand and communication design as well as design concepts, in which the Red Dot quality label is awarded to winners. The Red Dot Design A ...

, and the

Fast Company ''Fast Company'' is an American business magazine published monthly in print and online, focusing on technology, business, and design. It releases six print issues annually. History ''Fast Company'' was founded in November 1995 by Alan Webb ...

Innovation by Design Award.

References

External links

LAYER – Official Website

Design Dialogues
(visual interview; original drawings) {{DEFAULTSORT:Hubert, Benjamin Living people 1984 births Alumni of Loughborough University British industrial designers