Hafnova

2024

Product Design Partner — strategy, mobile UX, brand

Making cybersecurity accessible to all of Switzerland — Dohzel by Hafnova.

RoleProduct Design Partner — strategy, mobile UX, brand
Duration12 weeks
TeamCo-founders, 3 engineers, security advisor
ScopeStrategy, Mobile UX, Brand, Design system, Localization (FR / DE / IT)
Year2024

Context

Dohzel — Hafnova's flagship product — already had a first prototype in users' hands.

Early signal was strong: there was real appetite for a Swiss-made cybersecurity app that didn't ask its users to become experts.

The next step was harder. Rebuild the product so it could scale to a public launch — accessible to a 60-year-old in Vaud and a 22-year-old in Zurich, available in three languages, and built on a foundation a small team could keep extending.

01

Cybersecurity without the jargon

We replaced every piece of technical terminology with everyday Swiss language and validated each screen with non-technical users across cantons. The threshold for shipping copy was simple: a non-expert friend should understand it the first time.

02

One-tap protection, opinionated by default

The most important security actions were reduced to a single tap, with strong defaults baked in. Advanced configuration stayed accessible for power users — but it never sat between the everyday user and being protected.

03

A design system the small team could keep extending

Given the engineering team size, every screen was built on a tight component library. The localized FR / DE / IT versions, future features, and v2 work all sit on the same foundation — no rework needed.

12 weeks. Measurable shift.

From prototype to v1

Public-ready

Localized for Switzerland

FR / DE / IT

Design system

Foundation set

What I'd do differently

Working with a team this early means most of the value is invisible at launch — it's in the decisions you don't have to revisit later. We aimed every choice at the team's ability to keep shipping after I left.

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