Hey, I'm Joey.
I make things—companies, books, products, and, lately, stories.
I'm the creator of Baronfig, author of The Laws of Creativity, and a designer under the hood.
A little about how I got here:
I (accidentally) went to college for eight years straight, including summers, and somehow ended up studying two degrees: Literature & Philosophy, and Design.
The Literature & Philosophy degree, while questioned by nearly everyone (even today), turned out to be the most useful thing I've ever studied.
In 2013 I started Baronfig because I couldn't find a notebook I actually wanted to write in. Twelve years later, we've designed and shipped over 150 products to more than 100 countries.
In 2022 I wrote The Laws of Creativity, a practical guide for anyone trying to bring an idea to life. It became a #1 bestseller, but the best part are the emails I still get from readers who say it transformed how they work.
Every Thursday I send Eureka, a short letter built around powerful concepts that, once you’re aware of them, you start to see everywhere.
These days, I've been writing speculative fiction. More on that soon.
What ties it all together:
I'm a maker. The medium changes—sometimes it's a notebook, sometimes a book, sometimes a company, sometimes a story—but the underlying work is the same: take an idea and bring it into the world in a form people can actually use, hold, or feel.
If anything I make helps you do the same with your own ideas, that's the whole point.
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1) I’ve designed and directed 100+ products from idea to launch and beyond.
2) I started Baronfig in 2013. We’ve since grown to 95+ countries, hundreds of stores, and have sold millions of products to hundreds of thousands of customers.
3) My book, The Laws of Creativity, is a #1 bestseller.
4) It wasn’t intentional, but I went to college for 8 years straight (including summers). I studied two full degrees: Literature & Philosophy, and Design.
5) My dog, Luigi, knows 30+ commands and is my certified writing assistant.
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Things: books, philosophy, science fiction, Reddit, movies, psychology, outer space, video games, history, inner space
Places: diners, classrooms, coffee shops, couches (preferably mine), subway cars, bathrooms, crowded places
People: Abe Lincoln, Leonardo Da Vinci, Oprah Winfrey, René Descartes, Isaac Asimov, Martha Stewart, Neo, Albert Einstein, Hedy Lamarr, Socrates
Food: mac and cheese, pasta, grits, coffee, sushi, sparkling water, meatballs, ramen, avocados, hot hot sauces, dumplings
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An impasta!
Some nice things:
Select Accolades
Print NVA 15 Under 30
AIGA Command X 1st Pl
Print Wunderkind Dsgr.
Kickstarter Alumni
Wife’s Fav. Person
Select Features
Fast Company
Bloomberg
New York Magazine
Quartz
Print Magazine
Mashable
Select Publications
New York Magazine
Print Magazine
Bon Appétit
Design Entrepreneur
Playing With Type
Visual Literacy
Select Speaking
Bloomberg TV
New York University
AIGA National
Adobe MAX
School of Visual Arts
Parsons Design
How to dig in:
The best place to start is by subscribing to my Eureka Newsletter. Delivered every Thursday, Eureka offers a stimulating blend of quotes, concepts, and stories centered around a core idea that will transform your thinking.
If you want the full system for bringing ideas to life, then get yourself a copy of The Laws of Creativity. It’s a practical guide that helps you unlock your creativity, one readers tell me they actually keep on their desk and return to frequently.
For thinking tools you can hold in your hand, head on over to Baronfig—there you’ll find notebooks, pens, and more I've been designing since 2013.
If you want to work with me directly, I offer Coaching for people wrestling with a specific creative project or transition, and Speaking for conferences, teams, and offsites on creativity, design, and building things that matter.
And if you're here from the fiction side—more on that is coming soon.
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Joey Cofone is the Founder & CEO of Baronfig, an award-winning designer and entrepreneur, and author of #1 bestselling The Laws of Creativity.
Joey has designed and art directed over 150 products from zero to launch. His work has been featured in Fast Company, Bloomberg, New York Magazine, Newsweek, Bon Appétit, Quartz, Mashable, Print, and more. Joey was named a New Visual Artist and, separately, Wunderkind designer, by Print magazine. He is also a 1st place winner of the American Institute of Graphic Arts design competition, Command X.
Joey strives to make work that appeals to curious minds—work that’s beautiful, smart, and communicative. He believes that design is the least of a designer’s worries, that story is at the heart of all tasks, and jumping off cliffs is the only way to grow.
He lives in New York City with his wife, Ariana, and his dog (and writing buddy), Luigi.