Naming Deep Dives

Master the fundamentals of what messages names convey, the methods they use to convey them, and socialization strategies to get others on board and excited about your name.

No time to dig deep? Scratch the surface of all these topics with our Naming 101 page.

Naming messages

Names do more than just identify people, places, companies and products. They say something about their subjects. Like what?

Origin names

Names like Disney that convey who is behind their subject.

Definition names

Names like The Container Store that convey what their subject actually is.

Attribute names

Names like Tortoise or Mini that convey what their subject like.

Audience names

Names like Salesforce that convey who their subject is for.

Benefit names

Names like Discover that convey the outcomes their subject promises to deliver.

Naming Methods

Sometimes you can just come out and say what you mean. But your ideas may be too complicated, or unusual for the right word to exist. Learn when and how to strike this balance between clarity and flexibility.

Intuitive names

Names like Disney, Salesforce, or Discover that straightforwardly say what they mean, prioritizing clarity over flexibility.

Evocative names

Names like Tesla, Yum, or Stripe that take a little thinking or research, but can be figured out by, balancing clarity and flexibility.

Cryptic names

Names like Apple, Xerox, or Spotify that take direct explanation to make sense, prioritizing flexibility over clarity.

Still have questions? Looking for advice, or a place to bounce around ideas?

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