product-naming

# Product Naming Methodology

Based on David Placek's Lexicon Branding approach—the firm behind Vercel, Swiffer, Sonos, Azure, BlackBerry, Pentium, and Windsurf.

## Core Principles

### 1. Invent, Never Describe

Descriptive names are forgettable. Invented names signal innovation and are easier to own.

- **Bad**: "FormFiller", "QuickSign", "DocAssist" (literal, forgettable)
- **Good**: "Vercel" (evokes versatile + accelerate + excel without stating what it does)

### 2. Combine Word Stems Meaningfully

The best names draw from multiple word roots, creating rich associations:

- **Vercel**: versatile + accelerate + excel
- **Swiffer**: swift + efficient (with playful "-er" suffix)
- **Pentium**: penta (five) + -ium (element suffix, signals substance)

Target names that can be "extrapolated to many different meanings"—this gives the brand room to grow.

### 3. Design for the Ear First

Consider phonetic flow and sound symbolism before settling on spelling.

**Sound Symbolism Research (Lexicon's findings):**

- **V** = vibrant, alive, dynamic (Vercel, Viagra, Corvette)
- **B** = reliable, stable, trustworthy (BlackBerry)
- **Z** = attention-grabbing, distinctive (Azure)
- **X** = innovative, cutting-edge
- **Soft endings (-i, -a)** = light, approachable (Dasani)
- **Hard consonants (K, T)** = strong, decisive

**Avoid:**

- Awkward consonant clusters (e.g., "fl" sound in "FormFlow")
- Hard-to-pronounce combinations
- Names that sound different than they're spelled

### 4. Avoid These Patterns

**Tired suffixes:**

- "-AI" or "-GPT" (dated, overused, signals follower not innovator)
- "-ly" (Grammarly era, feels 2015)
- "-ify" (Spotify era, feels 2010)

**Literal descriptions:**

- Avoid naming what it does ("FormFiller", "AutoDoc")
- The name should create an impression, not explain functionality

**Compound words that telegraph function:**

- "QuickBooks" worked in 1992; the bar is higher now

## The Process

### Phase 1: Identify (The Diamond Framework)

Before generating names, answer these strategic questions:

```
        WIN
    (What does winning look like?)
         △
        /│\
       / │ \
HAVE ◀──┼──▶ NEED
(What do   (What do
we have?)   we need?)
       \ │ /
        \│/
         ▽
        SAY
    (What do we need to say?)
```

Define:

- What winning looks like for this brand
- What assets/positioning you already have
- What's missing that you need to acquire
- What the name needs to communicate

### Phase 2: Invent (Volume Generation)

Generate at least 500-1000 candidate names before narrowing.

**Techniques:**

1. **Word stem combinations**: Blend roots from Latin, Greek, English
2. **Sound-first approach**: What phonetic impression do you want? Start there
3. **Cross-domain inspiration**: What would this product be called if it were a bike? A song? A place?
4. **Competitive contrast**: What sounds are competitors NOT using?

**Three-Team Method (Lexicon's approach):**

- Team A: Knows the real brief
- Team B: Thinks they're naming a competitor
- Team C: Works on an unrelated category entirely

The best names often come from Team C—unconstrained by the problem.

### Phase 3: Implement (Testing & Refinement)

**Good signs:**

- Name causes debate/polarization (strong names provoke reaction)
- Easy to spell after hearing once
- Works across cultures (no negative meanings)
- Domain available or acquirable

**Test by asking:**

- Can you imagine this on a billboard?
- Does it pass the "radio test" (clear when spoken)?
- Does it have room to grow beyond current product?

### Phase 4: Domain Availability Check

After narrowing to top candidates, check domain availability.

**Process:**

1. For each finalist name, check availability across TLDs (.com, .io, .ai, .co, .app)
2. Use the user's preferred registrars if configured (see `config.local.md`)
3. Note pricing—premium domains may cost more but signal the name is desirable
4. Consider alternative spellings only if they don't compromise the name's integrity

**Domain checking tools:**

- Use `whois` command for basic availability
- Check registrar APIs or websites for pricing
- If user has `config.local.md`, respect their registrar preferences and budget

See `references/domain-checking.md` for detailed instructions.

## Example Analysis: "Vercel"

Why it works:

- **V** opening = vibrant, dynamic (sound symbolism)
- Evokes: versatile, accelerate, excel, vertical
- Doesn't describe what it does (deployment platform)
- Easy to spell after hearing
- Short, punchy, professional
- Room to grow beyond original product

## When Reviewing Name Candidates

Ask:

1. Is it easy to say? (Test: "fl", "thr", awkward clusters = red flag)
2. Does it describe the product literally? (If yes, reject)
3. Does it use tired suffixes like "-AI"? (If yes, reject)
4. Can it be extrapolated to multiple meanings?
5. What does it sound like phonetically? (Design for the ear)
6. Does it cause a reaction? (Polarization is good)