How to Create Lots of Good Names

This class is designed to help namers at any level turn the question of "What should we call it?" into a springboard for tons of creative ideas.

From the basic resources that support every naming project to style-specific name-development techniques, this class is designed to destroy namer’s block—and to help you create tons of great names, fast.

Be sure to download your workbook for this class!

• What might go into your own "namer's library"

• Online resources and digital/AI tools

• Personal tools and resources
  

I'll tell you about some smart ways to make a mess.

You'll:

• Create a word palette

• "Flip the category"

• Meditate on creative beacons

• React to names you hate
  

You'll also get two deep dives: One on creating word palettes and one on flipping the category. These exercises can apply to a wide range of naming projects.

A word palette is a list of words and ideas that could influence a list of names—not necessarily name candidates.

Think of it as a well you can return to when naming ideas start to dry up.

Over time, as you create more and more palettes, you’ll have a library of naming ideas that span tonalities, metaphoric references, and naming styles.

All of these support the development of fresh, interesting name candidates!

Try creating a word palette of your own.

Here is some of the language I pulled from each of the three poems.

Assumptions about a category got you down? Imagine it’s something else.

It’s easy to feel stuck if you’re not excited about the thing you’re naming. When that’s keeping you from getting great ideas onto the page, pretend it’s something else.

Try on a different category for a plant-based jerky brand.

Here's where my exploration took me.

If you think you’ve got “the name” from minute one, you’ll shortchange your own work.

Good habits for healthy naming list management

Different types of names might mean considering different methods and tools for name generation.

Descriptive names help people understand what a brand is or does.

Try out developing descriptive names for our client, CornCo.

Names that make people go, “Oh, that makes sense.”

Whether you call them suggestive, metaphoric, evocative, visual, or something else, this is the type of name people most typically mean when they say they need a name.

What it might look like to develop a long list of more suggestive names for our client, Oatco.

Try out developing more suggestive names for our client, CornCo.

Abstract names make people curious—and even though they might have "nothing" to do with the brand or business, they work best when they have a good story behind them.

Try out developing abstract names for our client, CornCo.

Successfully coining names starts with understanding what you’re looking to accomplish by changing the spelling of a word. We’ll look at common coining styles and ask ourselves some questions about what we want our coined name to be able to do.

Sometimes, we don’t have that much to work with.

These are some of my favorite techniques for working out a tricky naming strategy, limited creative input, or general uncertainty about how to move forward.

Thank you for joining me in class! Don't forget to download your workbook.