A creative strategic identity consultancy. We work with change-makers looking for innovative answers. Deeply experienced in naming, branding and design thinking, with results including TiVo and AmazonKindle.
What is your philosophy when it comes to design? "Great design has a built in 'aha' - an insight that the designer captured and the viewer gets to experience..."
"Minimizing the risk of change and expanding change's positive branding opportunities for company leaders is essentially what we do. We help our clients answer who they are, and move from where they are to where they want to be."
By Angela Tung of Wordnik
"Consider Everything...Inspiration, Stimulation. Sparks. They're everywhere we look (if we're looking hard enough) and often in places you wouldn't expect. As Henry David Thoreau said, 'It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see.'... the theme of obsessive discovery was the theme of this year's Creative Summit..." with speakers invited by Manhattan-based designer, author, teacher and meta-curator Eric Baker, author of the "Today" series of images, Chris Hill, Heidi Hanna, the amazing HILL studio, and Texas State University professors.
The student work this year and the judges were awesome. Among the cash scholarships was a wonderful surprise (to us), the : : CRONAN : : award!
"Karin Hibma is a design activist: she is a deep listener who uses her powerful intellect to craft strategy and weave patterns of thought, truth, and story. Karin is a gentle giant of a human being. She is both grounded and visionary-- a feat which is rarely achieved." – Alina Wheeler
AIGA, the national professional association for design, believes designers serve a critical role as communicators, educators and innovators. AIGA sets the national agenda for the role of design in economic, social, political, cultural and creative contexts. The AIGA recognizes designers who havemade 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. Karin has won design innovation and excellence in product design awards, been an innovator in all aspects of design and branding and has spoken about the influence of design all over the country. In March 2012 Karin was recognized along with outstanding colleagues and friends, Communication Arts Publisher Patrick Coyne and San Francisco's Hot Studio founder Maria Giudice.
"In everything she does, Karin so naturally exhibits the rare character attributes of grace and talent. Fueled by a genuine sense of love for creating "design that matters," Karin is an example for all us who practice design." – Dana Arnett
"San Francisco is a cauldron of some of the best creative talent in the world. Karin has excelled, with a varied palette of demanding projects that would have exhausted the rest of us. And this from a most beautiful and gracious lady, with enough security not to have an attitude." – B. Martin Pedersen
"We have emerged from one of the worst financial crises in modern history with our best year ever in 2010," stated Mark D. Mordell, Chairman of the Board. "During this time we have grown stronger, and we have gained a better understanding of ourselves, our clients and the markets we serve. We believe that our new name clearly represents who we are and where we are headed."
: : CRONAN : : had the pleasure of working with the leadership and across all levels of this dynamic group of avid bankers and their community to achieve one of their strategic goals - creating a name and brand personality for the bank that clearly describes and distinguishes them and builds their brand culture. They are what we want all bankers to be - dedicated, innovative and passionate about excellent service.
"We are avid about providing our clients with innovative solutions and outstanding service, so our new name is fitting," stated Kenneth D. Brenner, President and Chief Executive Officer. "We are most appreciative of all that our clients and stakeholders have done to contribute to the success of the Bank. We look forward to advancing their success as well."
This was the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Creative Summit. Karin Hibma, strategy partner at : : CRONAN : : , spoke to an auditorium filled with some of the American south's best design students along with their professors. She explained that finding the right questions to ask is, in many ways, is more important than the answers. "The right questions lead to higher order thinking," she explained, "answers are easy to find, it's the questions that hard."
The conference is the unique combination of a regional student design competition and lectures by the some of the most respected designers in this country. This year Karin had the pleasure of having son Nick Cronan on the same stage. Nick is creative lead at Fuse. Nick spoke about his experience in Lift, a design collective he founded with 5 other industrial design students atCalifornia College of the Arts, and working with international brands.
Go to the Creative Summit Site
" NASA is in the position to lead our country in developing the scientific literacy we will need to successfully meet our future,"says Michael Cronan, "to do that NASA will employ the world's actual oldest profession, storytelling."
The conference was held at San Francisco's California Academy of Sciences and was attended by the NASA's top communication and exhibition designers. Its goal was to explore "storytelling" as the foundation for concept development in all creative projects.
The presenters included legendary graphic designer KitHinrichs and accomplished exhibit designers Mitchell Maukand Steve Wiersema. CCA's inspired Director of Research and Planning/ Academic Affairs David Meckel moderated a long, lively panel and audience discussion.
Thanks to Jim Hull of NASA for organizing the conference and bringing us all together.
"A special recipe of pickled, hand-picked ingredients from the White House Kitchen Garden, including sun gold tomatoes, okra, cucumbers, chocolate bell peppers, carrots, lemon verbena, and fresh herbs are presented in jars with the First Lady's signature. The jars are topped with original artwork done by California artists, Michael Cronan and Karin Hibma, who were inspired by a photo of Mrs. Obama tending to the garden with children and a wheelbarrow."
"...to work and collaborate on this project was indeed a pleasure and a privilege." – Michael Patrick Cronan
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 Indigoand 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.
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.
