Before studying design at Parnham College in England, Jeffrey Bernett studied business at Northwestern University and the University of Minnesota. Combining these skillsets, he founded the multi-disciplinary design consultancy Studio B in 1995. The following year Bernett presented his debut collection at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) and was awarded the Editor’s Award for "Best of Show.”
In 2007, Knoll introduced three products by Bernett and his design partner, Nicholas Dodziuk: the Essentials Work Chair, Moment Side Chair, and Dividends Horizon, an updated and expanded version of the Dividends system originally released in 1998. The redesign, according to Bernett “evolves the office landscape by creating a layered approach to furniture design, with new focal points and an overall design consistency that integrates existing product with new product offerings."
Bernett continues to work in many disciplines including residential and office furniture, household products, lighting, transportation design, graphic design, packaging and bottle design, environment and interior architecture, and strategic planning. A partial list of clients includes B and B Italia, Bernhardt Design, Boffi, Cappellini, DWR, L'Oreal, Michael Kors, and Northwest Airlines.