To design for the renowned American furniture maker Herman Miller is like being asked to help out in Escoffier’s kitchen or to sing in the Bach Choir. Many are called, and few are chosen. And perhaps the only British designer to be chosen is Geoff Hollington.

For me, Geoff’s work exemplifies the modest art of the industrial designer, who happily trades fame for the chance to have their designs in every shop and home; to be anonymous yet ubiquitous. In fact, Geoff isn’t quite there. His work is too good, too uncompromised, to appeal to the massiest of mass manufacturers. And besides, with his work for Herman Miller, Hollington has spoiled this conceit by having a fine office chair of his own design named after him—the firm’s only designer since Charles Eames to be so rewarded.

Some critics fretted that our little book was too much like a practice brochure; unlike a practice brochure, however, Hollington Industrial Design is still selling after more than a decade.