Picking a name for your "brand"

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peekaboo said:
, does it really need your name in it? Brett

Too many people think small and inward and they come across as what they are - one man bands.
which doesn't give you any growing room. Put your own name on the shelf and think of yourself as a brand not an individual. If you're struggling this long to create a name for yourself, that doesn't bode well for your assertiveness in this business. Names and titles mean nothing. It is what they represent and achieve thats important. This business isn't rocket science, we overcomplicate even the most simplist things.
 
Hello again Brett! Haven't seen you on DF for a while :D

but I guess I agree with Berry. Not that I ever don't.
 
Oh... stumbled across this through Twitter, dunno if it's of any use. :D

Branding: Finding the Perfect Name | Spoonfed Design

How to Find That Name

Brainstorm Relevant Words on Paper - When you start a new project, a good place to start is by sketching. So why not apply this to brainstorming a name? Write down a large list of keywords that apply to your brand. Think of the brands purpose, style, feel, etc. Also consider what you want the name to represent. Once you have a strong list, go over it. Pick out a few that you really like and research them. Find all the meanings of that word, check to see if there is a domain name, and see if it is trademarked by someone else. Also try to think of all the possible synonyms you can to go along with those words to expand your list.

Combine/Make Up Words - Another good tactic for finding a name is making up or combining words. This is becoming more and more popular, because there aren’t enough words in the world to keep up with all the brands. Take a look at your list of keywords, and try putting two words together. Try putting letters together to form a completely new word that still carries the feel of the brand. If you have a good name, you can mix it up even further by playing around with the spelling.

Work in Reverse - If you’re really stuck, try doing things differently. Instead of making the name then building the brand, work in reverse. Try designing the website and the logo before you even have a set name.

Let it Come to You - One mistake people often make is thinking to hard. Instead of trying to find the name, let it come to you. Take a break from all the brainstorming, and move on to something new. Who knows, something may pop into your head.

Think of Random Words - It is important to try to make the name somehow connected to your brand, but sometimes that just doesn’t work. Instead of limiting yourself, try expanding your thinking.
Get Inspired - As always, the best way to generate ideas is by looking at others. Think about brands you see everyday, like Google and Apple. Also, logo galleries can be an excellent source of brand name inspiration.
 
Work in Reverse - If you’re really stuck, try doing things differently. Instead of making the name then building the brand, work in reverse. Try designing the website and the logo before you even have a set name.

I spose Im doing this already arent I! haha! Thats a helpful find though, thanks Tim.

I think Im going to go for pjcreative or a slight variation of it.

Im working on some pencil designs now for website etc. WIll post up at some point.

Thanks to all anyway! WAS A REAL HELP!!!!

Phil
 
Dude peekaboo! My name is Brett too!

And you and Berry have good advice...I've been thinking about a name for my freelancing and I think i've been thinking too much into it...plus I haven't had a lot of time so i've put it off a bit too but ya, i've been picking my brain too much...I got a pretty cool business card/logo idea so I'm just gonna think if a name and get the ball rolling.
 
I'll quickly tell everyone a story to illustrate the point. When I decided to start my own agency I said to my fellow founder. Lets just sit in the kitchen and think of a name in the next 2 hours and then lets do it. We stayed in my kitchen and looked around for a name. We looked thru all my cookery books etc and wrote random names till we were exhausted. Out of the 300 names we went thru each one and said 'crap' " maybe' yes". Eventually after 1 hour we were left with Armadillo and Tomato. We then asked the kids playing in the street which sounding name they liked. The winner and name for the agency was Armadillo. No reason, no rationale. 3 years later I have a brand and a company and employ staff. Clients ask ' why Armadillo? " And i tell them the story. They find the 'unrationality' of it refreshing and interesting. The fact that there is no meaning to the name, and that simplicity and directness achieves the desired result and gives us an edge. We don't have to justify ourselves everyday. Sometimes ' just because.....' is an answer. Keep it simple and honest and a whole new worlds opens up for you. Pretend and people see right thru you. Names mean nothing. what you stand for does. End of the sermon...

In a nutshell...stop farting around and looking up your own arse and DO IT!. The clock is ticking! Move on
 
Nice post Berry and interesting to hear the story that goes with it!
You really can lose far too much time trying to think of a name, I've been through so many personally, wasting time and money, and now finally decided my own name works best for me! Wish I'd have known a couple of years ago :D
 
Wow - thats quite a story Berry - living proof i spose that its the work that counts in the long run.

Anyway, after deciding to go with pjcreative, im starting the designing. Nothing special but here is my first attempt at the whole shananagon!

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love the p& j graphic. hate the rest! too arty
I would suggest to develop the pj graphic as a stand alone logo, maybe closing the gaps a bit more.
and then simply using pj creative as a namestyle in a 'classic' font. I would alway suggest to designers ditch taglines, you're overselling the obvious and generally trite. K.I.S.S Keep It Simple Stupid! as they say. You have something, but you've overcooked it and added too many ingredients. half way there in m y opinion
 
love the p& j graphic. hate the rest! too arty
I would suggest to develop the pj graphic as a stand alone logo, maybe closing the gaps a bit more.
and then simply using pj creative as a namestyle in a 'classic' font. I would alway suggest to designers ditch taglines, you're overselling the obvious and generally it's trite. K.I.S.S Keep It Simple Stupid! as they say. You have something, but you've overcooked it and added too many ingredients. half way there in m y opinion
 
Thanks Berry - really useful advise!

Do you mean try with just the PJ graphic and then creative in a normal font or the PJ graphic and then PJcreative in a normal font below or wherever?

Also, what are views on having the styled colour to it? Its something Ide really like to base my branding on so would appreciate some views on that.

Thanks again!
 
philjohns said:
Thanks Berry - really useful advise!

Do you mean try with just the PJ graphic and then creative in a normal font or the PJ graphic and then PJcreative in a normal font below or wherever?

Also, what are views on having the styled colour to it? Its something Ide really like to base my branding on so would appreciate some views on that.

Thanks again!



something more like this..ish.....
 

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I read the PJ as a B first. But that could just be a me thing :)

EDIT: Oh your latest version wasn't there when I clicked reply. I guess it's more obvious now when you also have PJ in the text.
 
looking interesting, i prefer keeping the pj in the namestyle, that means the logo can be a brand icon graphic and have more visuality like the original blue. Also it means we don't have to decipher the graphic to get to your name. But there is a nice simplicity to the graphic and i love the organic shape it produces. Just make sure the balance of the font doesn't fight with the graphic, Ying and Yang, Hot and Cold, Beef and Mustard
 
Thanks Berry - your being a real help!

Are you tinking a very plaine font would be best then? I'll be bak in 5!
 
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