How to pick a name

8 questions to stack candidates DESIGNKOMPANY.COM/PKN

What’s so important about naming? A huge part of branding is making sure you have the right name. It’s the first thing people hear, see, and judge. In the course of helping companies and organizations find their “look and feel,” we at Design Kompany have seen just how beautifully a great name can set up a brand. For example, some that we came up with: Hindsight for a veterinarian specializing in alternative medicine, Matchbox Mobile for a software company, Million Monarchs for a renewable energy nonprofit, and Loom for a foundation. Here are 8 criteria we use to stack name candidates. We hope you’ll find them useful, too. Dipika Kohli Design Kompany DESIGNKOMPANY.COM/PKN

Is it memorable? 8 Ditch anything unsticky. [This is a picture of me (left) and Akira (right) from the top of the Empire State Building in1999!] DESIGNKOMPANY.COM/PKN

Is it fun to say? 7 Think: Google, not AltaVista. [Or “goggle,” ha! Above is our son Kush, 2.] DESIGNKOMPANY.COM/PKN

Is it relevant? 6 Design Kompany just named a new Seattle grantmaking foundation Loom. A lot of foundations are named after their founders, but here the idea is about weaving change. DESIGNKOMPANY.COM/PKN

Is it unique? 5 Is it you and only you? There is only one Curious George. And The Man in the Yellow Hat. [And this desktop timepiece I picked up for Akira because it was so him.] DESIGNKOMPANY.COM/PKN

5 4 Is it surprising? In a crowded energy market, Million Monarchs gets your attention. This is part of the logo design. DESIGNKOMPANY.COM/PKN

3 Build a case. Build relationships. Build trust. Stay attuned. Sure, at the end of the day it’s important to get cus- tomers. But it’s also about keep- ing them. Think beyond getting Is it evocative? your ﬁrst dollar in the door. Think about how to offer great service Great names convey a feeling. Think: Red Envelope versus 1800GiftBaskets.com. Or Etsy, as opposed to Craftsy. These leaves appeared everywhere one May so I named my art site Wavular. DESIGNKOMPANY.COM/PKN

Pay attention. People want to be heard. 2 Is it playful? Matchbox Mobile had a lot of fun with their new name. This is their business card. For their tagline, they picked “Setting your mobile vision alight.” DESIGNKOMPANY.COM/PKN

Want to know more? Read this book Integrity Selling for the 21st Century, by Ron Willingham. For more on well-rounded brand design, talk to Design Kompany. letsplay@design-kompany.com http://www.designkompany.com 1 Is it right? Gut check time. Only you can know if a name is right for you. If it isn’t, keep going. Don’t settle! Give the search the time it deserves. It’ll be worth it in the end. DESIGNKOMPANY.COM/PKN

1 Questions? You can reach us at 206.778.5136 or letsplay@designkompany.com Thanks! And thanks to Pecha Kucha Night Raleigh and SparkCON 2010 for inviting Design Kompany to present “How to Pick a Name.” DESIGNKOMPANY.COM/PKN

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How to pick a name

by Design Kompany on Sep 19, 2010

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