Benjamin Vermeulen’s ultimate goal is "To design for people." His furniture items hinge on simple designs and the philosophy that people should instantly understand how to use them.

Vermeulen graduated from Design Academy Eindhoven, an interdisciplinary educational institute for art, architecture, and design in Eindhoven, Netherlands.

He is very inspired by mechanisms. “A clever mechanism can be magical,” he adds. “It should never add complexity,”

His designs employ these mechanisms to solve common issues, such as saving valuable space in the home and in moving vans, or simplifying assembly and disassembly.

For the MAG Furniture collection, Vermeulen uses both steel and metal, with magnetically connecting parts for easy assembly. Tools and hardware are not required.

The chair arrives in four pieces. The two supports cross each other and lock under the seat. The seat and back pieces themselves simply snap into place when they come into contact with the embedded magnets.

Likewise, the table arrives only in four pieces. Four pegs extending from the tabletop fit directly into the wooden legs, and the magnets keep them from slipping out of place.

Many modern designers approach their work with a similar philosophy. They design furniture for urban renters who are likely to move often. The items fit in a compact box before assembly and they can be easily carried up stairwells and through narrow doorways. But these items become increasingly complicated when it comes time to put them together or take them apart.

Vermeulen succeeds in making the pieces easy to assemble and disassemble, while also employing joinery techniques like interlocking cross-braces to make them structurally sound.

And he saves users from the burden of matching specialized tools with tiny bags of hardware, a feat in itself which should be awarded several times over.