Skaaren Design

I'm speaking at Creative Mornings PHX this Friday about INNOVATION - the restless, hands-on kind that comes from pet peeves, curious questions, and the feeling that the default setting isn't good enough. Or is it? Join me at Phoenix Photo Lab on Dec 12, 2025, from 8:30 to 10:00 AM MST.

Reserve your seat > https://creativemornings.com/talks/cory-skaaren?mc_cid=43fee9b2bc&mc_eid=867a79f6f3

Thrills are not synonymous with corporate briefings. In this case, we matched the forward-thinkingness of the CEOs and corporate thought leaders who contributed to this briefing with equally forward-thinking design.

Like many corporate endeavors, the content and messaging often end up overthought, over-edited, and ultimately uninspiring. To break away from this cycle, we decided to start from scratch and establish a few guiding principles. First, we embraced a small, non-traditional format to stand out and feel approachable. Second, we eliminated the use of PR-approved photos, opting instead for art that felt raw and authentic. Finally, we commissioned the portraits from artists who had never worked in the corporate space, ensuring a fresh and unconventional perspective.

“The truth is, creating a small publication solely focused on CEO corporate culture was considered a risk. However, the end result proved the critics wrong. The concept and design Cory developed made the project far more successful than we ever could have imagined.”

- Stefan Linssen, Publisher