Naming a business (design studio)

October 20, 2014 1:52 PM

Since the team is growing and business is going well, I'm more and more inclined towards founding a design studio (print, video, interactive). Having come up with names for a potential business many years ago, they seem silly and immature now. I don't want to choose a name and regret it down the line.

With my team growing, I feel like using my name was kind of pompous. I prefer using a studio name that we can all work under.

In any case, one of the important things I noticed when I revisited my old list was that I was trying too hard to tell the target audience “We are cool, we are out there, our work is an unconventional as our name.” Additionally, as I researched more and more design studios and companies, I noticed that simpler and more straightforward names were far more memorable. They also had the added bonus of easily convincing clients that the outfit was far more professional and established in the market (as opposed to one with a name that was trying too hard, which probably gives the impression that it was started by a bunch of unrealistic teenagers).

Since naming businesses is a service provided by all the top branding agencies in the world (Pentagram, Interbrand, FutureBrand, ...), I want to read more on the science/art of naming businesses (especially creative and design studios). I found this resource, but I want to read more about case studies. All resources that would help me learn more about the process in order to come up with something professional, simple, and catchy are welcome.

posted by omar.a to Work & Money (4 answers total)

Best answer: This tells the story of how Trello was named. It is about picking a product name, not a business name.

Off the top of my head: Google is a common misspelling of googol. I don't know the story behind it beyond that.
posted by Michele in California at 2:37 PM on October 20, 2014 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Sometimes I get paid to name things. Some resources I like: the Igor Naming Guide and Don't Call It That.
posted by ottereroticist at 2:37 PM on October 20, 2014 [11 favorites]

Best answer: Whatever you choose, do a google search on it first. I have to research bands for my job and I cannot tell you how much I hate to google bands with names that are generic or the same as something in another country. You want to be the only one of you, without resorting to stupid spelling issues. Since you are a business, it would be helpful if your name indicated the type of business that you are. You don't have to be cool, just memorable.
posted by myselfasme at 4:10 PM on October 20, 2014

Best answer: Exciting step! If you don't already have one, I would also recommend reading up on positioning statements because you need to know how you are positioning your company before you can name it, so the name can reflect this.
posted by gillianr at 10:19 PM on October 20, 2014