IN CONVERSATION WITH
JASPER MORRISON
Few designers have influenced our interaction with everyday objects as profoundly as Jasper Morrison (London, 1959). Renowned for his thoughtful approach, he crafts designs that quietly elevate daily life—simple, functional, and effortlessly timeless. With the launch of the Vega Chair Collection in 2025, Morrison revisits his original Artifort design with a fresh perspective. Artifort spoke to Morrison about his design vision for Vega.
How would you describe the design of the Vega?
Jasper Morrison: "I designed the original Vega a long time ago. It’s stayed in production for over 25 years but looking at it again recently I noticed the design language of it seemed a bit too strong."
How does Vega reflect your signature ‘Super Normal’ design philosophy?
"Well, Super Normal is always the goal, but it’s a quality that a product acquires with time. I wouldn’t say the original Vega met the criteria of having a discretely positive effect on the atmosphere wherever it might be, but perhaps the new model will with time."
Why did you select this particular form for
the Vega?
"It was the tubular structure which
came to my mind after a bit of sketching and the upholstery
followed with the idea of varying the colours of the seat
and back."
You originally designed the Vega for
Artifort 27 years ago, and now the collection is expanding. Have you made any improvements based
on what you’ve learned over time?
"I hope so! I think we have improved
the ergonomics and the general character of the chair."
You have been described as a detailoriented
person, How does that reflect in the design of
the Vega chair?
"Isn’t every designer a detail
person? I mean you have to take care of the whole design,
not just the visible parts…"
What challenges did you encounter while
designing Vega, and how did you overcome them?
"The complications were mainly
technical ones and apart from providing the 3d’s and
adapting them through the development it was mostly the
Artifort technical team that had the challenges I think. We
have a lot of ergonomic experience so getting the comfort
right isn’t so complicated. We spent more time working on
the proportions to get it looking as natural as possible."