The Design 100

If there were ever any doubt that two heads are better than one, take a look at the Bouroullec brothers. Ronan, 36, who once dreamed of playing pro soccer, and Erwan, 32, work at either end of a table in their Paris studio, passing designs back and forth until they hammer out wonders like the stripped-down adjustable Joyn office for Vitra. In high demand since their Lit Clos sleeping cabin—reminiscent of a Breton peasant bed—debuted in 2000, the two have brought their playful creativity to projects for Cappellini, Kartell and Ligne Roset. Their guiding design principle, that products should be adaptable to their customers' lives, is best seen in their popular 2004 Algue system for Vitra. It may look like plastic seaweed, but when snapped together, it transforms into either a wall covering or a room divider in limitless variations. It's doubly good news then that this year the duo debut a chair for Kartell, alongside new Magis Steelwood pieces.