Object: 2012 London Olympic Torch

British design duo Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby now bear the torch for their design of the torch: the 2012 London Olympic Torch, that is. As this year’s winner of the Design Of the Year competition, hosted by London’s Design Museum, BarberOsgerby takes home the gold for its aluminum, hole-punched design. The design brief was no easy feat, as it called for 8,000 holes to represent each of its bearers who handle it over its 8,000-mile journey. “Nothing is harder to get right than designing for the Olympics,” says Deyan Sudjic, director of the London Design Museum. The holes have a utilitarian function, too: they reduce the torch’s weight, and prevent heat from scorching the bearers’ hands. Recently, the torch exhibited at Milan Furniture Fair. • designsoftheyear.com