My previous post was about methods for generating ideas. The current post is on how to come up with a project name. What's the difference between a creative naming and a working title?
The working title is much more than just a beautiful combination of letters and sounds with a special meaning.
How I usually come up with the names of my projects
1 - Free domain name
For a project, most often, a website is needed, which means that an important factor is the presence of a free domain in the zone you need. The biggest problems start when you need a .com site. Everyone wants a simple and easy domain name so that it can be unambiguously recognized by ear.
This is why I immediately check any name idea that comes to mind for the availability of a domain in the .com zone. Ideal if the domain is free and you can buy it. It is a little worse if the domain is bought out by resellers of domains. This means that you will not be competing with a real business with the same naming as yours. Or you can buy the domain yourself if you really like the name.
You can check the availability of domains at any domain registrar. For example, at https://www.godaddy.com/.
2 - Unique Google Search Results
The name gives birth to the brand, and not vice versa. Therefore, the main thing is that it is well googled and that it is easy to pronounce, and everything else is born from the associations of the product with the name, and not vice versa.
For the name of the project, it is important not to be like anyone in its niche, but it is better to have a unique naming in the market in general. Especially if you have plans to take over the world š
To overclock my fantasy, I use the service https://namelix.com/. It allows you to drive your idea through the main word forms and speed up the process of generating a unique name.
3 - Correct emotion
Ryan Hoover, founder of Product Hunt, once complained that the most difficult thing for him when creating something new is coming up with a name. In one of the discussions on ProductHunt, Ryan formulated how he comes up with the names. He first defines the vibe, atmosphere or brand, and then comes up with a bunch of words that fit them.
I usually follow the same principle. I define the feeling that I want to convey from the brand. A great brand communicates on an emotional wave, so you need to make that feeling your core.
One way to determine how you are feeling is to find out what you are not. A great brand is defined by both what it is and what it is not. Therefore, if you enter a certain market in a certain way, identify the point of disappointment and turn it around. For example, if your market is confusing, you can use Relaxed or Mindful.
4 - If you like ready-made frameworks
Sometimes I look into Nick Kolenda's ready-made framework https://www.nickkolenda.com/brand-names/. Perhaps this approach will be closer and more understandable to you.
5 - If you want to know everything about naming
There is also a very cool resource https://guide.onym.co/, which contains links to all the resources that you may need for naming.
Be creative ā¤ļø
Cheers Gally