• Sofa Nuri – Designer: Joachim Nees
  • Funktionssofa Messina – Entwurf Joachim Nees
  • Sessel Damian – Entwurf Müller Wulff 
  • Schlafsofa Kyoto-4 – Entwurf Müller Wulff

»Function follows form« – reimagined

Drawing deliberate inspiration from this famous design principle, we at Signet forge our own path: For us, aesthetic form and comfort take center stage from the very beginning. Only in the next step do we develop the technical requirements for our proven functions. This results in furniture whose practical—and sometimes surprising—functions are not immediately apparent, but only reveal themselves through use.

In doing so, we collaborate with renowned designers from the furniture world who also work for internationally established brands. They bring their individual style, experience, and creative vision to every project—thus shaping the development of innovative yet timeless pieces of furniture.

Among the designers with whom we successfully collaborate are Joachim Nees, Jan Armgardt, Jörg Wulff, and Thomas Müller. Their designs represent a successful blend of quality, functionality, and aesthetic appeal—valued in both private and public spaces.

Additional designs are created in-house in collaboration with our experienced development team of creative minds and gifted craftsmen.

Joachim Nees

Joachim Nees had actually planned to become a civil engineer, as bridge construction was what interested him. But after the Aschaffenburg native completed his intermediate degree at the Technical University of Darmstadt, he visited an exhibition on industrial design.

Both the themes and the exhibits left a lasting impression on him—and led him to change his major. He enrolled in the industrial design program and graduated with flying colors. But what exactly does Joachim Nees value most in industrial design? He places great emphasis on quality—both in design and in materials. “I’m always delighted when a well-executed feature complements the purpose of a piece of furniture, like a light bulb,” says Joachim Nees.

It is no coincidence that he has made the oft-quoted phrase “form follows function” his philosophy. Nees does not seek to dazzle with extravagant designs, but rather to address people’s needs and create unique furniture from them. Thus, the future user of the furniture is always at the center of his design work. People are the measure of all things—beyond purely ergonomic considerations. Joachim Nees approaches new ideas with a relaxed and open mind, driven by a healthy dose of curiosity. His successes speak for themselves: prestigious design awards such as the Red Dot Design Award, the iF Design Award, the German Design Award, and the Interior Innovation Award (Best of Best) attest to the quality of his work.

Jan Armgardt

Jan Armgardt (Celle, Germany, 1947) is a trained cabinetmaker who studied interior design. In 1974, he opened his own design studio in Schondorf am Ammersee: the Jan Armgardt Design-Furniture and Conceptual Design Agency.

Starting in 1970, he founded various small companies to sell his own products directly (Beedesign, Workshopdesign, Armgardt Zerlegbare Möbel).

Armgardt now focuses on research and development in design for the furniture industry, particularly on sustainable furniture construction using materials such as cardboard, paper, and recycled or recyclable raw materials.

Since 2011, he has served as a mentor at the Indonesian Ministry of Industry and Trade to develop furniture innovation centers, such as the Lichtenfels Innovation Center in Germany.

J. Armgardt has won more than 40 international design awards, including the Chicago Good Design Award and multiple Red Dot Design Awards.

Jörg Wulff and Thomas Müller

Thomas Müller and Jörg Wulff have been managing partners of a design firm specializing in architecture, interior design, and design since 2001. Berlin is the center of their inspiration, life, and work.

Thomas Müller studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Stuttgart and the Royal College of Art in London. Jörg Wulff studied at the Berlin University of the Arts, the Berlin University of the Arts, and the Bournemouth & Poole College of Art and Design in England.

“Clarity and timelessness are at the forefront of our furniture designs.”