Working with : : CRONAN : : Maples Investments rebrands as FLOODGATE.
July 19, 2010
Mike Maples Jr., one of the co-founders of Motive, has been investing "as a hobby" for the last five years under the banner of Maples Investments.
Some hobby: his investments include Twitter, Digg, Chegg, Wordnik, ngmoco:), Smule, Kno, ModCloth and a dozen or so other well known startups.
At first he put his own money to work. Then he raised a $10 million fund in 2006, and a second $35 million fund in 2008. And along the way he added an amazing partner, Ann Miura-Ko. They recently raised another $70+ million fund.
Maples now admits that his hobby is more of an obsession, and they're changing the name of their fund to mark the milestone. We met Mike when he was a project manager at SGI where we named the IRIS Indigo and Crimson series. He wanted a name and identity for their new firm that really set them apart. As he says, "being different is better than being better."
Goodbye, Maples Investments. Hello, FLOODGATE: Opening the Gates of Success.
Kno - The electronic textbook name branded by 
: : CRONAN : - a bold new idea that will change textbook publishing.
June 2, 2010
When co-founder Osman Rashid approached :: CRONAN : : to create the name for his new company he asked Michael and Karin to see a one minute video that demonstrated what he wanted to do, it was all it took to get : : CRONAN : : on board. Kno is an incredible advancement in educational tools. Kno has a whole new ecosystem as described at its website kno.com: two spacious panels; touch-screen interaction; a fully-stocked store; video; note-taking; sharing and community.
"Kno" was one of the first names : : CRONAN : : introduced to the executive team. As Michael described, "This is a name that could only belong to them. The name works for a dynamic and powerful new learning technology. Soon the answer to every question will be Kno."
What has looked impossible the founders of Kno are making happen. Kno is changing the face of text book publishing.
From PC Magazine : Perhaps most importantly, developers said they had partnerships with the four leading textbook publishers and others, and were convinced they would have 90 percent of all textbooks ready when the device launches. And the company said it has agreements with several universities to distribute the device.
From The Huffington Post August 6th : The Kno is a multi-dimensional two-screen tablet that could lighten your bag -- and change the face of textbooks.
According to Tablet PC Review: the Kno was designed specifically for students and may be able to do for them what the Kindle, Nook and iPad have not. Its student-geared features include a durable clamshell design, a "smooth and effortless" writing stylus that lets you highlight and annotate text and the ability to display a full textbook at once, eliminating the need for scrolling.
Fast Company Magazine launches Co.Design on line.
June, 2010
Fast Company magazine was launching a new website about the intersection of business and design and asked : : CRONAN : : to strategize forging the name for this new arena. "Working with the team was truly a rewarding and fun experience", says Karin Hibma, strategy partner at : : CRONAN : : , "They had the answer in the palm of their hands. The Co. element was a natural for their identity. We helped them recognize its value and depth."
From the Editor's letter: "We didn't build this site alone. Scott Thomas led the early brainstorm sessions, and gave us these fantastic layouts, article templates and logo. The character of the site was deepened with the help of two true co-collaborators, Karin Hibma and Michael Cronan. And our expert bloggers, who were the inspiration for spinning off this site from the start. We look forward to hearing from you." - Noah Robischon
Michael noted, " The Co.Design site should be on the list for all design and business interested people. Fast Company's Editor Robert Safian, Co.Design Editor Noah Robischon, Senior Writer Linda Tischler and contributing writers like Ken Carbon and Alissa Walker have created a nexus that integrates and goes beyond blogging and design journalistic experiences."
>Visit the letter from Co.Design's Editor
>Visit Co.Design
: : CRONAN : : curated the 2010 Creative Summit 24. The Theme: Creative Zeitgeist
Texas State University - San Marcos
March 24-27 2010
For the Creative Summit's twenty-fourth year event, founder and designer Chris Hill asked Michael Cronan to curate the speaker list, present, and to invite someone else from our creative family to present as well.
This led to a unique and maybe trend setting approach to design conferences, pairing "silverback" speakers with speakers just beginning their careers. Shawn HibmaCronan, a sculptor and Michael and Karin's younger son, delivered the opening talk and his insights were quoted all over Twitter.
The pairing of experienced designer and new talent gives two perspectives. The technological and cultural shifts over the last three decades have been extraordinary. It takes the voices of two generations to clearly begin to decode the tidal shifts in design and its impact on our world.
Arthur Ganson, acclaimed sculptor and artist in residence at MIT, was paired with his son Cory Thomascoff; a remarkable filmmaker who created a documentary, Amoung the Giants, which focuses on design for severely handicapped people in Manhattan. The film is currently in six film festivals.
Christian Helms, the youngest silverback but long on design credentials as a partner in Decoder Ring and founding member of Project M, brought Jennifer Sukis from Frog Design who took the audience on a conceptual experience on a typical session at Frog.
The event and judging delivered a record set of cash awards to deserving design students providing over thirty thousand in cash prizes for the student winners of the competition. And so began a new tradition at the Summit. See you there next year for the big 25th celebration!
>Visit the Creative Summit Site
>The Creative Summit on Facebook
>Visit Christian Helm's Decoder Ring Site
>Visit Shawn HibmaCronan's Site
The Marin History Museum Music Center --
a Museum is a Place to Make History
March 12, 2010
The Marin History Museum celebrates the traditions of innovation and creativity of the people of Marin County. Through exhibitions, educational programs, workshops and performances, the Museum inspires honor for the past, an understanding of the present and an imagination of the future.
MHM is opening a Music Center in downtown San Rafael to celebrate the community of music makers who have made Marin their home. The Music Center will join existing youth centers, theaters, clubs and studios -- becoming the heart of an already vibrant Marin music community. They are retrofitting a building on Fourth Street to create a performance/education space, recording studio and a small retail store.
:: CRONAN :: is creating a masterplan for the Museum's brand story and a new identity for the MHM Music Center. The construction phase display windows tell the story and announce the first exhibit, "Marin Rocks" to celebrate the vibrant community of musicians, artists and innovators who have cultivated Marin County's music scene from the 1950s through today.
>Visit the Site – see and hear Metallica tell the story.
Perfect Fitness named to Inc. Magazine's top consumer companies.
November 19, 2009
This company deserves the ranking. If you use their products you know that they are "perfect for you!" Perfect Fitness is poised to become a premier brand in the next couple of years. We are working with the Perfect team to develop and grow the considerable power of this very cool company.
As Alden Mills, founder and CEO, and former Navy Seal put it, "We went through several name changes. We started as PT Metrics, then we went to BodyRev, then Perfect Pushup, and we happily settled on Perfect Fitness. The intent is to be a much larger brand with a nutritional and motivational component as well as the exercise products. Our motto is Take control of your body. Take control of your life. We want to help people feel better about themselves. We want to own the word perfect."
FORA.tv Named to TIME's List Best Websites
October 1, 2009
Exciting news! FORA.tv was named one of TIMES's 50 Best Websites, alongside the likes of Google, Facebook, Twitter, Wikipedia, Amazon, Hulu and Pandora to name a few.
: CRONAN:: designed the FORA.tv brand and site development and are FORA.tv Designers Emeritus. The site was recently updated with powerful journalism input from new CEO Blaise Zerega and redesign spearheaded by user experience expert Sarah Kennon with team members Nicole Maron, Allan Claghorn, Colin Fein and graphic designer Tushar Gupte, congratulations Team FORA.tv!
>Go to TIME's FORA.tv coverage
Michael Cronan and Karin Hibma to speak at Cusp Conference
September 16-17 2009 Museum of Contemporary Art Theater Chicago
"It's a conference about the 'design of everything,' bringing together thinkers, innovators, skeptics, believers, visionaries and explorers from the arts, sciences, technology, business, design and government.
"It's two days of creativity, imagination, passion and energy from 20+ presenters who will share their thoughts, passions and stories and help you create new ones – a concentrated blast of ideas, creativity and optimism that connects unexpected dots and lights unknown fires."
Fast Company Magazine selects : : CRONAN : : Partners Karin Hibma and Michael Cronan as Two of the 100 Most Creative People in Business. See the June 2009 Issue.
Even before we got the hand-written selection note from Robert Safian, Fast Company's Editor and Adweek's Editor of the Year, the magazine was a "must read" for us. Fast Company is all about being the most progressive, creative and innovative title on the market with news and stories about people and ideas that are making a difference in business today. Recognized for our work in naming and branding, we are honored to be in good company on their list.
>Read more about Michael Cronan
Michael Cronan receives American Institute of Graphic Art Fellow Award
June 15, 2009
>Go to an AIGA interview with Michael Cronan by Kristen Bouvier
The AIGA recognizes designers who have made a significant contribution to raising the standards of excellence in practice and conduct within their local or regional design community as well as in their local AIGA chapter. The areas of education, writing, leadership and reputation as well as the practice of design are given equal consideration in measuring significant contribution.
Michael was a founding member of AIGA San Francisco, served as a Vice President and as President of the San Francisco chapter (1989-1990). Michael also served on the national board of directors (1986-1988), on the nominating committee, has contributed a number of presentations and articles, and co-founded the Design Lecture Series, one of the oldest and most important lecture series dedicated to the convergence of technology, art and design, which continues to bring world-renowned professionals to one of the world's creative capitals.
Michael is honored additionally to be receiving this award with two other well recognized designers and dear friends, Leslie Becker and Doug Akagi.
: : CRONAN : : does Texas, so to speak
ELEGANT QUESTIONS / SIMPLE ANSWERS
March 29, Dallas Forth-Worth American marketing Association
April 2, 2009 Houston American Institute of Graphic Art
We consider Texas not only like another country but a second home. We visit the Lone Star state whenever we can. This year we were invited to speak to two terrific organizations.
Our presentations are based on a realization we made while working with students at the California College of the Arts, which changed the way we look at and conduct our work.
From the presentation blurb: "One of the time saving tricks we learned during 20 years of teaching was the Yes/No answer. To avoid endless email writing and phone time, answering student questions, we requested that students frame their questions so we could answer with a simple 'yes or no.' We saved time and also noticed that the students' questions became much more interesting and at times, elegant. From that realization and a number of others we began to realize that the questions in Design are far more important than the answers. It was a major Ah-Ha for us.
Since then our design practice has switched from looking for the right answers to looking for the right questions to ask.
"Michael Cronan and Karin Hibma will share thirty-five years of their Ah-Ha's (and some Ha-Ha's) with you and will offer some thoughts on the future of design.
"CRONAN :: designs and creates internationally known, innovative, successful names, identities and brands for companies, products and organizations. Led by partners Michael Cronan and Karin Hibma, :: CRONAN :: has a wide spectrum of engagements, from developing business concepts thru start-ups and new product launches to re-energizing well-established companies and brands. ::CRONAN :: creates world-class names and visual brands for game-changers, like TiVo and Amazon Kindle."
From a review of the Houston Lecture:"Starting with a request from Michael for the crowd to sing Happy Birthday to Karen (thursday was her birthday), one could sense right from then that Michael and Karen's demeanor is one of humbleness. Both very intuitive, smart, and loving of the value of working with companies that provide an overall good to the world and allow ideas to emerge..."
: : CRONAN : : Walking Man featured in a new book on product design and branding:
November 6, 2008 – On Sale Now
THE DESIGN ENTREPRENEUR, Turning Graphic Design Into Goods that Sell
Noted writers Steven Heller and Lita Talarico have authored a lively new book about designers who have expanded their reach by creating and selling their own products, the ultimate "walking the walk."Karin Hibma : : CRONAN : : partner, discusses founding and developing Walking Man, an apparel line that we design, manufacture and sell online. In her interview, Karin points out that we created Walking Man, now in its sixteenth year, as a kind of environment whereby one can travel from appointment to occasion and be completely well dressed. The line has received many design accolades including ID Magazine's Consumer Product Gold Award for two successive years.
Among the list of other design luminaries profiled who have created successful products are: Seymour Chwast; Maira Kalman; Yves Behar; William Drenttel & Jessica Helfand.
>Go to graphics of Walking Man
Oprah on Amazon Kindle.
October 25, 2008
We have been delighted to see the expansion of the Kindle name throughout the press and culture. We get pretty attached to the names we create and the products and services they identify so when the ladies on The VIEW, especially Whoopi Goldberg, waxed rhapsodic about Amazon's extraordinary reading device, we thought Kindle had arrived. But when Oprah devoted a large section of her show to Kindle today, and gave everyone in the audience their own Kindle, we upgraded our definition.
Those of you who Kindle your books, magazines or newspapers know what a terrific experience it provides. Bezos and the folks at Amazon do not know how to think small so we anticipate Whoopi and Oprah are just the beginning of the chorus of people who will soon read the world in a new way.
>Go to the AmazonKindle case study
>Go to the news from Oprah's site.
Check out what others are saying about Oprah's love affair with Kindle:
>Go to WIRED's Blog Network Epicenter
>Go to the Financial Times of London's tech Blog
: : CRONAN : : designs for Clos du Val Winery to help the Inneract Project
October 15, 2008
AIGASF's biggest event of the year, features an exhibition and benefit auction of one-of-a-kind wine packaging designed by some of the most visionary artists and designers in the region. Pictured here is the design
: : CRONAN : : created for the event and the existing label design. Our concept ( left ) re-imagines the Three Graces dancing in the moonlight.
A portion of the proceeds benefit Inneract Project, a program that introduces design to inner city youths.
Design History Stamp by : : CRONAN : : at the Smithsonian Postal Museum
September 4, 2008
We are pleased to announce that : : CRONAN : : will contribute a piece to the upcoming Smithsonian National Postage Museum for an exhibit called Alphabetilately celebrating the 15th anniversary of the museum.
When exhibit originator Alyson Kuhn and exhibit designer Michael Osborne contacted us for the piece, we were in a bit of a dilemma. We created the piece almost 15 years ago to explain the concept of "Over Printing," a technique used in times of special need or emergency, as at the end of WWII, when Germany needed to continue its postal service but was hampered by the prominent Nazi swastika on its existing stamps, and over printed the old stamps until new stamps could be created.
Our problem was that we had lost the original portrait artist's name from our files. To establish the provenance of the piece with very little time, we enlisted the help of over fifty art scholars from prestigious schools and museums all over the world. We are delighted to say that almost all responded and tried to help us but even with their kind efforts our painter remained a mystery.
As luck had it, we stumbled upon the art at Fotosearch.com while looking for a suitable replacement for the original image! And with relief, we are happy to identify our ancient collaborator as Carlo Francesco Nuvolone, the Italian Baroque-era painter from the Lombard school, 1609 -1662 Milano. Here to the right is his original painting without the irreverent intervention.
We have not yet identified the beautiful subject of the portrait but with a little more luck someone will send us word.
>Please see the announcement link from the Smithsonian
: : CRONAN : : contributes to re-issue of the legendary book
Fifty Years of AmericanTrademarks 1920-1970
May 2008
Designers and authors Eric Baker and Tyler Blik have decided to re-issue their legendary three volume set of Trademarks into a large single volume with essays and trademark design from a select number of nationally recognized contemporary designers. Fifty Years of American Trademarks 1920-1970 has been an essential resource for designers all over the world and the new expanded single volume will prove to be even more useful for inspiration in creating new brands and in recognizing past trademarks and the designers who created them. We are delighted to have the opportunity to contribute to this seminal new work.
: : CRONAN : : wins seven awards in Graphis / April 2008
Graphis: The Best of International Visual Communications
has selected seven logos from : : CRONAN : : for inclusion in
Graphis Logo Design 7. The biannual review features logos and identity programs from all over the world and from all catagories of business. All seven logos are from the San Francisco Parks Trust identity Program. The goal of the program is to allow visitors and San Franciscans alike, to see the landmark parks in a new way.
The latest from Healthy Child Healthy World
Every so often we have a great gift like the image below, created by Audrey, an eight year old who was inspired to draw this rendition of the the likeness of Collette Chuda, the little girl who inspired the creation of the organization. We savor the kid's eye view of our logo.
Healthy Child Healthy World becomes a best seller
April 18, 2008
Congratulations to new author Christopher Gavigan and everyone at Healthy Child Healthy World on the publication of the book of the same name!
The book became #1 on Amazon.com's best seller list in three categories: Healthy Living, How-to & Home Improvements, and Child Development. And on the first day, the book rose to #15 overall!
Christopher enlisted eminent doctors and scientists to help create his new book that educates parents on the pontential dangers of everyday household chemicals. To garner as much attention as possible to this critical problem, Christopher also sought the help from longtime supporters including a forward by Meryl Streep and essays by Brooke Sheild, Laura Dern, Jenna Elfman, and Michelle Obama.
: : CRONAN : : had the honor of naming the organization and creating its visual identity which is intended to remember Collette Chuda, who's parents Nancy and Jim Chuda, founded the organization after Collette died of a rare form of cancer linked to chemicals found around the home.
We encourage that all parents of infants and young children to read this book. Please gift new parents!
>Buy Healthy Child Healthy World at Amazon.com
>Read Christopher Gavigan's review of : : CRONAN : :
The Creative Summit 23 chooses : : CRONAN: : for poster design
March 28 - March 29, 2008
Texas State University -San Marcos
San Marcos, Texas
Now in its 23rd year, the Creative Summit has grown into a highly respected student competition and conference that is attended by young designers and professionals from all over the country.
Michael Cronan has spoken at the conference a number of times and has recently written an article in Graphis New Talent Annual '07&'08 about the Summit and its founder Chris Hill.
This year Chris, asked : : CRONAN : : to do the poster and theme graphics for the Summit.
Collaborating with the internationally known photographer Sandro, the poster is a wild narrative in two panels that expresses the theme of this year's conference, Creative Intensity.