He actually wanted to become a civil engineer, being particularly interested in building bridges. But after he had completed his intermediate exams at the University of Darmstadt. Joachim Nees, who was born in Aschaffenburg, visited an exhibition on industrial design. Both the content and the exhibits made a lasting impression on him – and led to him changing his field of study. He enrolled on the Industrial Design course, and completed his studies with great success. So what is it in designing that so interests Joachim Nees? He attaches great importance to quality – of design as well as of materials. “And I am always delighted if a successful feature complements the content of a piece of furniture like a light-bulb moment,” says Joachim Nees. He has taken to heart the much-quoted phrase ‘form follows function’ – in fact, he has now adopted it as his philosophy. He is not interested in designs that indulge in flights of fancy; he wants to transform people’s requirements into furniture. He approaches ideas with a very relaxed and open attitude, driven by a strong sense of curiosity. His successes speak for themselves: well-known design prizes such as the Red Dot Design Award, the IF Design Award, the German Design Award and the Interior Innovation Award (Best of Best) provide the evidence. Joachim Nees always concentrates on the future user - the sole and constant focus of his creative work. Man is the measure of all things, not just ergonomic considerations.