/product-naming — Expert Naming Process

Structured naming process based on David Placek's methodology (Lexicon Branding — created names for Sonos, Pentium, Blackberry, Swiffer).

When to Use

• User says "name this", "brainstorm names", "naming process"
• Naming a new product, feature, company, or project
• Evaluating existing name candidates

Process

Step 1: Identify — Define the Brand Essence

If $ARGUMENTS provides a product or feature description, use it as the starting point. Ask the user to define (or help them articulate):

• What is it? (1 sentence describing the thing to be named)
• Core attributes (3-5 adjectives that describe the ideal brand feeling)
• Target audience (who will use/hear this name most)
• Competitive context (what other names exist in this space)
• Constraints (domain availability needed? character limit? language considerations?)

Step 2: Invent — Generate Name Candidates

Generate 50+ name candidates across these categories:

Descriptive — Names that say what it is

• Functional descriptors (YouTube, Netflix, Dropbox)
• Compound words (Facebook, WordPress, Snapchat)

Metaphorical — Names that evoke a feeling or concept

• Nature metaphors (Amazon, Apple, Sierra)
• Action metaphors (Sprint, Dash, Vercel)
• Quality metaphors (Zendesk, Clarity, Notion)

Abstract — Names that are evocative but not literal

• Sound-symbolic (Sonos, Zoom, Slack)
• Portmanteaus (Pinterest = Pin + Interest, Spotify)
• Modified words (Lyft, Flickr, Tumblr)

Invented — Completely new words

• Phonetic constructions (Kodak, Xerox, Hulu)
• Latin/Greek roots (Astra, Vero, Luma)
• Generated strings (ASML, Nvidia)

Present candidates organized by category. Aim for quantity — curation comes next.

Step 3: Evaluate — Score and Rank

Score the top 15-20 candidates on these criteria (1-5 scale):

Criterion	Weight	Description
Memorability	High	Easy to recall after hearing once
Pronounceability	High	Obvious pronunciation, works spoken aloud
Distinctiveness	High	Stands out from competitors
Meaning/Evocation	Medium	Conveys the right feeling or concept
Domain/Handle	Medium	.com or reasonable alternative available
Scalability	Low	Won't constrain future product expansion

Use AskUserQuestion to have the user react to the top candidates:

• Which names do you gravitate toward?
• Which feel wrong? Why?
• Any you'd like to combine or riff on?

Step 4: Present — Final Recommendation

Present top 5-10 names with:

• The name
• Category (descriptive/metaphorical/abstract/invented)
• Why it works (connects back to brand essence)
• Potential concerns
• Domain availability (check via WebSearch if requested)

See references/placek-methodology.md for deeper methodology notes.

Output

Present recommendations inline in conversation. Optionally save to a file if the user requests.

Next Steps

• Happy with the name? Document it in the PRD
• Need to formalize the product? → /product-prd