UM Project / Users & Makers

Not so long ago, life was made of simple connections. Knowing who bakes your bread, who tailors your suit or builds your house. This is what we do. Designing and manufacturing furniture, one piece at a time or in series. To do this, we invest a lot of time and passion. But really, the piece starts to live only with our user(s). It is a never-ending story.

Our approach seamlessly bridges the way things are designed and the way they are made, combining cues from industry and craft. To achieve that we reinterpret old archetypes into an honest design and construction language. We reuse traditional techniques and joinery to create strong moments and connections. The result is work with personality, function and purpose. In practice, our pieces provide many expressive “windows” through which the user enters.

Combining his background in branding with his expertise in furniture, François started UM Project in 2004 as a hybrid between artisanship and consultancy. Before UM Project, François worked for international brand design consultancies including Zürich-based Zintztmeyer & Lux and Interbrand in New York. The start of UM Project was motivated by François’ interest in getting his hands dirty, but also by the recognition that the market was craving more personal, tangible products and experiences beyond the empty promise of conceptual brands.