Product Naming Skill
A name has to do a lot of work: signal what the thing is, fit the brand, be easy to say and remember, and not
already be taken. This skill generates candidates across different naming strategies and then evaluates them
against criteria — so you get a defensible shortlist and a recommendation, not a brainstorm dump.
Working from a brief
Given "name our new analytics feature", produce names anyway — infer the audience, the brand feel, and what
the name must convey, and label assumptions. Always flag that trademark, domain, and existing-use checks are
required before adopting any name — propose, don't certify availability.
Required Inputs
Ask for these only if they aren't already provided (else infer and label):
- What it is — the product/feature, what it does, and the value it delivers.
- Audience & brand — who it's for, the existing brand/name family, and the desired feel (serious, playful, technical, premium).
- Constraints — must convey X, avoid Y, language/market considerations, length.
- Context — is it a standalone brand, a sub-brand, or a feature within an existing product (descriptive often wins for features).
Output Format
Naming: [thing]
1. Direction — a line on what the name should achieve and the strategy mix that fits.
2. Candidates by strategy — a shortlist grouped by approach, each with a one-line rationale:
| Strategy |
Examples |
Feel |
| Descriptive |
(says what it does) |
clear, SEO-friendly, lower distinctiveness |
| Evocative / metaphor |
(suggests a quality) |
memorable, needs context |
| Invented / coined |
(new word) |
ownable, needs building |
| Compound / blend |
(two ideas joined) |
balance of clarity + distinctiveness |
3. Evaluation — score the top candidates against criteria:
| Name |
Clear |
On-brand |
Memorable |
Easy to say/spell |
Extensible |
Notes |
4. Recommendation — the top pick (or 2), why, and the checks to run before committing: trademark search, domain/handle availability, existing-product collision, and meaning in target languages.
Quality Checks
Anti-Patterns
Based On
Brand & product naming practice — strategy-driven generation, criteria-based evaluation, and pre-adoption availability/meaning checks.
1---2name: product-naming3description: Generate and evaluate names for a product, feature, or release. Use when asked to name a product/feature/company, brainstorm naming options, or choose between name candidates. Produces a shortlist of names across naming strategies, each with rationale, plus an evaluation against clear criteria (clarity, fit, memorability, availability checks to run) and a recommendation — not just a random list.4---5
6# Product Naming Skill
7
8A name has to do a lot of work: signal what the thing is, fit the brand, be easy to say and remember, and not
9already be taken. This skill generates candidates across different naming strategies and then *evaluates* them
10against criteria — so you get a defensible shortlist and a recommendation, not a brainstorm dump.
11
12## Working from a brief
13
14Given "name our new analytics feature", **produce names anyway** — infer the audience, the brand feel, and what
15the name must convey, and label assumptions. Always flag that **trademark, domain, and existing-use checks are
16required before adopting** any name — propose, don't certify availability.
17
18## Required Inputs
19
20Ask for these only if they aren't already provided (else infer and label):
21
22- **What it is** — the product/feature, what it does, and the value it delivers.
23- **Audience & brand** — who it's for, the existing brand/name family, and the desired feel (serious, playful, technical, premium).
24- **Constraints** — must convey X, avoid Y, language/market considerations, length.
25- **Context** — is it a standalone brand, a sub-brand, or a feature within an existing product (descriptive often wins for features).
26
27## Output Format
28
29### Naming: [thing]
30
31**1. Direction** — a line on what the name should achieve and the strategy mix that fits.
32
33**2. Candidates by strategy** — a shortlist grouped by approach, each with a one-line rationale:
34
35| Strategy | Examples | Feel |
36|---|---|---|
37| Descriptive | (says what it does) | clear, SEO-friendly, lower distinctiveness |
38| Evocative / metaphor | (suggests a quality) | memorable, needs context |
39| Invented / coined | (new word) | ownable, needs building |
40| Compound / blend | (two ideas joined) | balance of clarity + distinctiveness |
41
42**3. Evaluation** — score the top candidates against criteria:
43
44| Name | Clear | On-brand | Memorable | Easy to say/spell | Extensible | Notes |
45|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
46
47**4. Recommendation** — the top pick (or 2), why, and the **checks to run before committing**: trademark search, domain/handle availability, existing-product collision, and meaning in target languages.
48
49## Quality Checks
50
51- [ ] Names span more than one strategy (not all coined, not all descriptive)
52- [ ] Each candidate has a rationale tied to what the name must convey
53- [ ] Top names are scored against explicit criteria, not vibes
54- [ ] For a *feature* within a product, descriptive/clear options are prioritised over clever ones
55- [ ] A recommendation is made, with required availability checks listed
56- [ ] Language/market pitfalls are flagged for the shortlist
57
58## Anti-Patterns
59
60- [ ] Do not hand back a flat list with no evaluation or recommendation
61- [ ] Do not claim a name is "available" — you can't verify trademarks/domains; list the checks to run
62- [ ] Do not over-index on clever/coined names for features that just need to be findable
63- [ ] Do not ignore pronounceability/spelling — a name people can't say or type costs you word-of-mouth
64- [ ] Do not skip cross-language/meaning checks for names going to multiple markets
65
66## Based On
67
68Brand & product naming practice — strategy-driven generation, criteria-based evaluation, and pre-adoption availability/meaning checks.