Selected Case Studies
OVERTURE is a 55-seat supersonic passenger jet designed to go Mach 2.2. An overture is an introduction, in music and now in flight. Considering this will be Boom’s first commercial aircraft, it says this is just the beginning. The name also has “over” in it, signaling that the jet will literally be 30,000 feet above the competition.
We worked with Boom’s senior leadership team alongside our design partner, Manual, to develop a unified communication strategy, a name for the jet, and a series of writing deliverables to bring Overture to life on the Boom website, in print, and at trade shows.
Fairly easy because not a lot of people make airplanes and most people who do name them alphanumerically or after birds of prey.
We took 4 names into deep legal screening with Boom’s trademark counsel. All names passed the test. In the end, Overture was the CEO’s favorite name.
Howso describe themselves as “the understandable AI platform.” The company set out to build an AI platform that doesn’t sacrifice integrity for power. We wanted to provide names that signaled the transparency and trust that comes from being able to look under the hood and see how everything works. Meaning why does one think that, Howso encourages an audience to ask the questions: why did the AI generate that information and how?
Previously Diveplane, this project was a renaming effort. We worked with the senior team to understand why the old name no longer resonated and what narrative they wanted to communicate moving forward.
The team originally wanted to screen names in multiple countries but decided on a preliminary screening in the US to simplify registration.
Although not a requirement for the project, the team was able to acquire the .com with little effort.
At the end of the project, there was a short list of contenders that everyone favored from two rounds of naming. The team took a few days to deliberate on the naming options and were thrilled with where they landed.
Definite Articles is a performance apparel brand that is entirely biodegradable. The fashion industry wastes 2.4 billion pounds of textiles annually. Biodegradable apparel is an important step in closing the loop.
Definite Articles is a term borrowed from grammar. In English, it’s the word the. But in the context of clothing and fashion, the term takes on new meaning. Calling clothing articles makes them feel valuable and considered. Definite Articles feel durable and confident. This acts as a fitting counterbalance to the idea of biodegradable clothing—as if to say “This clothing is built to last.” That is, of course, until you’re done with them and pop them in the compost.
Definite Articles received an A grade in preliminary trademark screening and didn’t run into any issues during the registration process. This is thanks in no small part to it being a longer, two word name. In a world where everyone wants something short, longer names definitely stand out.
The team at DA registered definitearticles.com. Again, having a longer name was very helpful here.
Definite Articles was the fourth name presented in the first round. We do a lot of groundwork before presenting names to ensure that our early options can be winners.
Ephemera is an organization that supports apps built with the Extensible Message Transport Protocol (XMTP) for secure, private, and portable messaging. They are a team of developers committed to making the internet a better, safer, and more equitable place.
When we met their team, they were operating under the name XMTP Labs—they were in need of a fresh moniker that would be respected in the tech world and sound appropriate in policy discussions—from forums to congressional chambers. They wanted a name that honored their appreciation for personal privacy on the internet and the passionate collective of people working on these issues.
We conducted a preliminary USPTO screening and Ephemera received a B grade.
With a one-word name like this, the team anticipated adding a prefix or suffix. They landed on ephemerahq.com.
Ephemera was the “wild card” name in our second round of naming—sometimes the right name comes in the first round, other times it’s the very last name we share. The XMTP team had half a dozen naming options and ultimately, they took Ephemera forward to steward their cause.
MIRO is an excuse to think of your workday as a collaborative canvas. Derived from Joan Miró, the Spanish painter and sculptor who painted bright, bold murals of surreal amoebic forms. His vibrant, energetic work was a perfect metaphor for bringing ideas to life. Miro can also be considered as an empty vessel name with a connection to the Spanish word for “look” or “watch.”
When we began the project, Miro (then RealTimeBoard) had offices in San Francisco, Amsterdam, and Perm. We were lucky to be able to meet with the majority of the team in San Francisco to demo the product and work through our intake process. The team wanted a short, unmistakable name that spoke to creativity and visual collaboration.
Names were screened in the US and EU.
Not a project priority but the team was able to acquire miro.com
After legal review, we met with the leadership team in San Francisco and worked through the final contender names one by one. It rarely happens this way but we actually made a decision as a group, in the room.
We like the classic feeling of a sandwich shop with the proprietor’s name on it: Ted’s, Rhea’s, Michael’s, Kelly’s. If we stopped with “Chuck’s” there would be a chance of going unnoticed so we wanted to modify the name with something ownable that wasn’t just window dressing. “Takeaway” fits the bill by setting an expectation and an attitude.
We worked with Charles Phan and the leadership team at Slanted Door Group to name a neighborhood sandwich shop in San Francisco’s Mission District that’s attached to Slanted Door’s commissary. Chuck was Charles’ nickname in college and Takeaway lets you know that there isn’t much room for seating. Simple enough.
We conducted a preliminary trademark screening in the US. Restaurants are notorious for common law conflicts so deeper legal screening was important as well.
URL wasn’t a driver of the project because these are physical restaurants that are part of an existing restaurant group. Chuckstakeaway.com was available.
We worked alongside design partner Moniker to bring these names to life. Chuck’s happened really fast because an opening date was set. When we presented the name it got the strongest reaction from almost everyone.
Ostro helps life sciences brands engage with healthcare providers and consumers in more impactful ways. Their products bridge the gap between “Ask your doctor about…” and real action, all with the goal of better health outcomes. Ostro, an Italian word for a southerly Mediterranean wind, is also a metaphor for natural pathways and a seamless flow of information.
We were summoned by our partners at Mucho who were spearheading the rebrand of the company (formerly known as RxDefine). Pivoting away from pharmaceutical language, Ostro was a poetic alternative ready to be imbued with new meaning. Its visual symmetry opened up a world of possibilities for Mucho’s design.
We conducted our preliminary screening in the US, and Ostro’s relative obscurity earned it a B grade.
Being open to simple suffixes, the Ostro team was able to secure ostrohealth.com.
Ostro was a definite favorite from the first round of names—and remained so throughout the process. The co-founders were aligned and made the decision with the support of Mucho and yours truly.
Understory is a brand of supplements and proteins derived from Antarctic krill. The name was born out of a desire for the parent company, Aker Biomarine, to share a rich story about the importance of aquaculture nutrition and highlight krill’s vast range of sustainable nutrients.
We worked with a diverse group of decision makers from Aker, with expertise ranging from biology to B2B partnerships. To find Understory, we dove deeplooking for a connection to the abundant nutrition beneath the waves. Understory is typically associated with surface plant life but takes on new meaning in the context of marine-based biotech.
Aker Biomarine needed to conduct preliminary trademark screening in the US, Japan, and Korea. All three countries are large markets for krill protein and protein manufacturing. Understory and several other names received good marks in these territories, and Aker’s internal counsel conducted the final deep legal screening before registration.
Being open to a suffix in their url, the team was able to acquire understoryprotein.com without any trouble.
Even though there were a variety of perspectives on the name, the Aker team was able to come together—ultimately selecting for extensibility and shared appreciation for what lies beneath.
Lyric is an AI-first software approach for supply chain management. Having witnessed firsthand the logistical chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lyric’s team aims to create harmony where there was discord and volatility. Initially known as ChainBrain, most of the senior team felt this placeholder name sounded too old, literal, and limited.
We worked with key stakeholders including the founder/CEO, CMO, and head of engineering to find more fresh and figurative alternatives. Happily, they all agreed on the most important naming objective: inspiring supply chain adjacent businesses to create. They saw Lyric as an industry outlier in terms of style and concept, channeling the idea that each part of the supply chain could connect and flow along in unison.
Lyric received a B in the preliminary U.S. screening and made it through deeper legal diligence.
Being open to non-traditional domain endings, the team was able to purchase lyric.tech.
Lyric stood out amongst other names that had stronger supply chain references—feeling lighter, more colorful, and giving space for harmonious creation. Its creative, atypical energy supported the team’s passion for carving out a new category. Singing a different tune in their rapidly growing industry gives Lyric a chance to stand out from the crowd.
EERO was the first wireless router to bring design sensibilities to setting up and using a Wi-Fi network. The name Eero, inspired by the life and work of architect and designer Eero Saarinen, positions the product as an extension of the hearth and home.
We worked with the founding team to develop a name for the company that could also work as the name of their product. Years later, we worked with their marketing team to develop a strategic naming architecture for their expanding product line.
Their placeholder name when they first came to us had trademark challenges. It also didn’t quite work with their positioning. We conducted preliminary trademark screening in the U.S. and the deeper legal clearance was conducted by their legal counsel.
While it was not a driving factor in our process, they were able to acquire eero.com
If given the right conditions, the unexpected always seems to find a way. In this case? The CEO happened to attend elementary school in a building designed by none other than Saarinen himself.
Abridge is a healthcare AI platform that uses natural language processing to accurately record, transcribe, and distill clinical conversations. A verb meaning to shorten in duration or extent, Abridge speaks to the benefits of speed and brevity—a welcome improvement on tedious notetaking of the past.
The sole participant on this project was founder Shiv Rao, a faculty member and practicing cardiologist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. As he described it, “healthcare is a really moldy industry,” so we set out to find a name that would feel like a breath of fresh air (while still appropriate for the space). As a bonus, the winning name paid homage to Pittsburgh, the City of Bridges.
Names were screened for software conflicts in the US, and Abridge received a B grade. It then cleared a deeper legal screening with their counsel.
The company’s first home on the internet was abridge.ai, and they eventually secured abridge.com.
The decision was entirely Shiv’s. After two rounds of names and some deliberation, he had narrowed it down to two contenders. In the end, Abridge won out as the more patient-friendly and layered name.
WILD COMMON imbues the raw elements of nature with a sense of community and gathering. The name captures the essence of what the founder was inspired to create with his line of tequilas and mezcals—a near-spiritual connection to the products conjured from the earth. It was important that his brand not feel aggressive or gimmicky, as he wanted to speak to active, driven people who care about the products they bring into their lives—and their bodies.
Our team developed names that reflected his commitment to growing a sustainable business, working with a team of mindful experts, and creating a fresh line of additive-free agave spirits.
Wild Common had made it through our preliminary screening and cleared deep legal clearance as well.
Longer names tend to make for easier URL acquisition, and the team was able to purchase wildcommon.com.
Wild Common was the favorite out of a group of three finalists. It made a strong impact and remained memorable and interesting. Ultimately, its pleasant blend of natural and communal themes made for a well-balanced name.
Ultraderp is equal parts high performance and big dumb smiles—just like most of the dogs you’ll find running around on trails. Ultra as in ultralight, ultrafast, or ultra marathon. Derp as in that face dogs make when they don’t know what’s happening but aren’t about to let that get in the way of a good time.
Ultraderp is an ultralight, packable dog leash that weighs as much as a single AA battery. It can be worn on the dog’s collar and deployed whenever needed simply by pulling the pink “U.” Ultraderp excels in situations like running and hiking when you only need a leash sometimes. Because it’s so lightweight, it’s also great for walks, parks, breweries, and anywhere else you might find yourself with your pup.
We worked with the Berkeley, California-based founders to name the company. We also helped with some key copywriting, and went on a couple of trail runs in the hills because we like dogs (and sometimes running). Mucho joined us on the project, developing the visual identity.
We conducted a preliminary trademark screening in the US.
URL wasn’t a priority of the project but when you pick a name like Ultraderp, the URL somehow winds up being available.
There were a couple of contenders but only one that got an interesting reaction from everyone who heard it. We worked alongside design partner Mucho to bring the Ultraderp brand to life.
Stelo is the first FDA-cleared glucose biosensor available without a prescription. The developer, Dexcom, entrusted us to find a name that felt empowering, told a story about optimizing health, and would help introduce this technology to a whole new audience.
We searched for compact names that could convey power and lend themselves to a future where the biosensor would provide augmented feedback on a growing array of analytes in one’s blood. Stelo means “star” in Latin, and “stem” in Italian. When we presented the name in the second round it was well-received for signifying healthy growth and having pleasant phonetics.
Names were screened for medical device conflicts in the US, UK, Canada, and Germany. Stelo received A’s and B’s in those markets, and ultimately cleared a deeper legal screening with Dexcom’s counsel.
Dexcom was able to acquire stelo.com for their new product.
We worked with four Dexcom researchers and marketers who coalesced around a vision of the device as a “partner in thriving.” Stelo was actually not the original top name for the team. However, they soon found that it made a strong, natural connection to the product.
House Numbers is the first financial advisor for the home, helping homeowners build wealth while lowering the cost of home-ownership. The team liked the double meaning here as House Numbers are a fixture on the front of nearly every home and a way to communicate, quite literally, the amount of money a home is worth.
We worked with a small team of stakeholders from the worlds of real estate, finance, and tech. This breadth of experience helped us see the naming opportunity from multiple backgrounds and perspectives.
Names were put through a preliminary screening for conflicts in the US. Despite having the word “house” in it, this name proved to be unique enough to own.
We shared a variety of URL options for the final name. The team was open to alternate TLDs and ultimately went with housenumbers.io.
Among the participants, there were two key decision makers. We had a call with them at the end of the process to discuss the short list of contenders. After weighing the options, they moved forward with a name we all agreed was the strongest.
Groundcover is any plant that grows over an area of ground and provides protection of the topsoil from erosion and drought. The Tel Aviv-based team loved the name as an easy metaphor for their DevOps monitoring platform that installs in a flash, stamps out issues, and recedes to the background when things are running smoothly.
Our team worked directly with the co-founders so we got up to speed quickly and decisions were made swiftly. Once they landed on Groundcover the team built a lovely, playful brand identity, and have found success at every turn.
This was a standard software search in the US and Israel.
URL wasn’t as much of a concern and they’ve managed to acquire the .com.
After one round of names the team liked nearly half of what we shared, mulled the names over for a short while, then emailed us with the good news: they’re were going with Groundcover.
Imbue is an AI systems company creating practical AI agents capable of complex reasoning. They believe that AI has the potential to make life better for people, offering the time and space to live happier lives.
When we first met with the team they were still operating under their original name: Generally Intelligent. While we appreciated the humor of the pun on “artificial general intelligence,” most people thought the name was a lot to process and maybe a little too frivolous. We were able to work directly with the founders, including the passionate and thoughtful CEO. We progressed through several rounds of naming, refining our directions, style, and tone along the way.
Imbue received a B in the preliminary U.S. screening and passed all deeper legal diligence.
The team had funds allocated for a domain name purchase and were thrilled to be able to acquire imbue.com.
Imbue received uniform praise from the project participants in our third round of naming. The name felt magical, distinctive, lively, warm, and artistic. They all appreciated that the name could indicate “imbuing computers with intelligence and human values.” After a long search it was nice to find a name that felt right for their purpose and their personalities.
HEYDAY is Target’s in-house brand of tech accessories. The name speaks to the ability for the brand to capture an individual’s sense of style. This is a name that says tech accessories have just as much to do with fashion as they do with electronics.
We worked closely with the brand team at Target, alongside the design team at Collins, to develop and present a wide range of names that were energetic, playful, and bold.
We worked closely with Target’s in-house counsel to conduct legal screening on all names shared with leadership.
The leadership team made the decision based on a variety of factors both creative and strategic.
Brightband is a public benefit corporation developing AI tools to improve weather and climate-related decisions for all of humanity. The name is a reference to a bright band—a radar phenomenon that indicates the presence of melting precipitation. In the context of their work, the name signals positivity and the collective efforts of a “band” of academic researchers, meteorologists, and technologists.
We began with a name evaluation—helping the team assess their internal naming candidates, including the placeholder name, OpenEarthAI. Then, we developed a round of names related to forecasting tools, the scale of impact, and a collaborative mindset.
Names were screened for AI, machine learning, and meteorological conflicts in the US. Brightband received a B grade and ultimately cleared a deeper legal screening with their counsel.
Brightband had more than a dozen available URL’s, and they were able to pay a reasonable price for brightband.com.
First, they narrowed down to a short list of options that received support across the team. Brightband was in the mix, though it wasn’t the frontrunner until we reviewed potential URLs. It was clear from the number of options that it was the most ownable name in the set.
Tempo is a bus that’s pretending to be a train. AC Transit, the Oakland-based public transit agency, reached out to us as they started planning a new bus rapid transit (BRT) line to serve communities in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, stretching from the San Leandro BART station to downtown Oakland. The bus line is designed to function more like light-rail with buses every ten minutes, bus-only lanes, and new traffic signal technology allowing buses to bypass traffic.
With that regular, uninterrupted service in mind, the name Tempo was a clear favorite, setting a quick and regular pace for life along East 14th and International Boulevard.
We conducted preliminary trademark screening in the U.S. and the deeper legal clearance was conducted by their legal counsel.
Leadership knew this name wouldn’t require a standalone URL as it would live as a part of AC Transit’s existing site.
Their leadership made a decision as construction began on the lanes. A few years later, Tempo buses started taking on passengers.
Half Dreaming is a creative agency that helps mission-driven organizations bring their brands to life. Led by a close-knit team in Charleston, the agency’s approach combines a knack for design, marketing savvy, and a genuine curiosity about the world around them. The name speaks to the head-in-the-clouds quality of creativity, but with an air of mystery—implying that the other half is grounded in strategy.
We worked with co-founders K.J. and Caitlin Atwood, who were in the midst of a nine-month road trip around the States. Their partnership, and their adventure across new landscapes, gave us some insight into what drives them personally and professionally. It also provided ample inspiration for our naming.
We conducted preliminary trademark screening in the U.S. and we referred them to an IP attorney for deeper legal clearance on their top names.
URL was not a driving force here. Being open to suffixes, they landed on halfdreamingagency.com.
The partners were ready to shed their previous name (Maranatha Design) for something fresh and evocative. After one round of naming, the decision came down to two strong contender names. We came together as a group to discuss the pros and cons of each, and Half Dreaming won out in the end.