Entrepreneur, Product Manager, Advisor & Angel Investor with experience building strong products and companies.

Bjorn Dawson

As a product portfolio consultant, I help hardware founders build profitable, world-class portfolios for mass-market growth. My aim is to create value-driven product experiences, sustainable economics, and manufacturing confidence. Together, we’ll build an unfair market advantage that prioritizes a better human experience and is optimized for manufacturing, economics, conversion, and scale.

60+ worldwide patents
21+ million products sold 
$3B+ revenue generated

Joseph Hofer

Thrilled to have been invited on the Business Debrief Podcast with Greg Jeanneau and Badr F to talk about design and premium positioning as a strategy.

We talked about some of my favorite topics including:

- How my grandfather's woodworking tools shaped my design philosophy
- Why BlackBerry pursued premium positioning 
- The distinction between premium and luxury 
- Why I like anti-trend products
- Why I developed an obsession with one specific Canadian deodorant

Link in comments (audio only)

#premium #design #productdesign Clicks Forages Hofer Studio Nala Care

Product portfolio consultant for hardware & consumer companies • Build a profitable, world-class portfolio for mass-market growth • ex-BlackBerry design • $3B+ revenue generated

"A vanilla product that solves a vanilla problem will go unnoticed."

Most of the objects we use every day quietly train us. They shape how long we focus, how patient we are, and how much energy we spend just to get through a task.

In this episode of Design Mindset by Yanko Design, I spoke with host Radhika Seth about a powerful idea: the best products respect human limits. They do not drain attention, overload cognition, or punish people for being human.

I share lessons from designing iconic BlackBerry devices, building products that feel “obvious in hindsight,” and why restraint and clarity are not aesthetic preferences. They are strategic advantages that build trust, reduce friction, and create longevity in brands.

In this episode, we cover:
- Why great design often comes down to what you remove, not what you add
- Designing for edge cases: poor lighting, bumpy commutes, real-world stress
- What BlackBerry keyboards taught me about trust, touch, and muscle memory
- Why poorly designed products make users feel stupid and how to fix that
- Restraint as a business advantage: returns, referrals, brand equity, and ROI
- Clicks Communicator, Forages, and designing tech that protects attention
- Redesigning “metric overload” wearables into supportive, human experiences
- Why products should enhance human capability, not replace it

Thanks Radhika again for the invitation, and huge thanks to the incredible Kiyomi Harrington for setting this one up.

#designmindset #yankodesign #design #intentionaltech

Open video: The Best Design Decisions Are the Ones You Don’t Notice | Joseph Hofer (BlackBerry, Hofer Studio) on youtube.com

The Best Design Decisions Are the Ones You Don’t Notice | Joseph Hofer (BlackBerry, Hofer Studio)

What started out as a business podcast with Badr F and Greg Jeanneau about the positioning strategies I helped shape at BlackBerry and Clicks,

It ended with us talking about one of the only product purchases (a deodorant) I've made in the last while with zero regrets. 

Absolutely TMI, but can't help share and support this wonderful Canadian brand Nala Care led by Ada Juristovski Jemc. 

Link in comments for full audio podcast and 10% off individual Nala Care products. 

#selfcare #premiumpositioning #design Business Debrief Podcast

On super fans, word of mouth, and the power and passion that comes through when a product MAKES YOU FEEL. 

We received the most epic testimonial on the Business Debrief Podcast by their guest Joseph Hofer, former designer of the BlackBerry phone.

On a podcast focused on premium vs. luxury positioning, technology, and being anti-trend, this guest spent his last few minutes of air time in an impassioned testimonial for Nala Care deodorant. And for that, we are forever grateful.

Take a listen here. Link to full podcast in comments.

Thank you Joseph and to Kiyomi Harrington for bringing it to our attention.

#cpg #brand #premium #luxury #naturaldeodorants #nalacare Badr F Greg Jeanneau

Incredible Jack Morris!! Glad we had the chance to work together way back on the Wolf and Grizzly product line. 

All the best!

I joined Stark Future SL as employee #13. I moved to a new country with a lot of risk, but with a big dream, to prove electric can be superior. 

Today, we are more than 350 people with the same vision.

I happy to announce that In November, I was promoted to Lead Designer. 

I’m excited to lead motorcycle design at Stark in its next steps, It’s been a dream to help build such a brand.

Thanks to Martin Petersson, Anton Wass, Paul Soucy and the rest of the team for the trust and motivation 🚀

taplio

The Battle

Bjorn Dawson

Joseph Hofer

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreJoseph Hofer's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Bjorn Dawson

Joseph Hofer

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Joseph Hofer's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreJoseph Hofer's LinkedIn Performance