Jon McLinden is a designer based in Portland, Oregon. With a background in industrial design and over six years of experience in small business branding and freelance product development, his work explores the intersection of utility, modularity, and narrative design.
He holds a B.A. in Industrial Design from the University of Oregon and is currently pursuing a Master of Architecture at Portland State University, where his focus spans public interest design, parametric design methods, and [AAD] algorithmic -aided-design experiments.
Much of McLinden’s early work developed within the niche world of teardrop trailers and off-grid recreational products. There, he helped rebrand a small teardrop trailer company from the inside out — designing the visual identity, building two full websites, implementing an automated quotation system, and managing fabrication tools like CNC routers and laser cutters.
The result was a ground-up transformation that fused craft with streamlined systems. It gave him a strong foundation in CAD/CAM operations, complex assemblies, manufacturing and quality control oversight experience.
