Names operate on multiple layers that must align. When layers align, names feel inevitable. When they conflict, names feel wrong even if no one can articulate why.
Four layers: sound, meaning, cultural, functional. Problems arise from layer conflicts — sound says "playful" but meaning says "serious"; cultural layer says "luxury" but the name is a typo trap.
N1: Doesn't "Feel Right"
Symptoms: Stakeholders reject names but can't say why. Gut reactions are negative despite meeting requirements. Something's "off."
Key questions: Do sounds match intended emotional tone? Is there a meaning conflict between layers? Does it violate category expectations?
Checklist: sound pattern matches desired attributes; no unintended negative associations; pronunciation is intuitive; fits cultural context.
Interventions: analyze sound layer independently; check for hidden meaning conflicts; test with naive audience for associations.
N2: Names Don't Belong Together
Symptoms: Product family feels disjointed. Names seem from different worlds. No cultural coherence.
Key questions: Is there a consistent sound palette? Do syllable structures match? Is there a unifying pattern?
Checklist: phoneme inventory defined; syllable templates consistent; naming conventions documented; outliers identified.
Interventions: define phoneme inventory; establish syllable templates (CV, CVC, CVCV, etc.); create naming conventions; regenerate outliers.
N3: Forgettable
Symptoms: People can't recall the name. It blends into category. No distinctive hook.
Key questions: Is there a memorable sound pattern? Does it have a meaning anchor? Is it too similar to alternatives?
Checklist: distinctive sound feature; meaning hook exists (metaphor, unexpected reference); differentiated from competitors; passes "phone test" (easy to convey verbally).
Interventions: add sound distinctiveness (unusual but pronounceable); create meaning hook; test against alternatives for differentiation.
N4: Sends Wrong Signals
Symptoms: Audience interprets name differently than intended. Wrong category assumptions. Unintended associations.
Key questions: What does this name sound like it should be? What category conventions is it following/breaking? Are there unfortunate associations?
Checklist: sound patterns match intended category; cultural references understood by audience; no negative meanings in target markets; international check done (if relevant).
Interventions: audit category sound conventions; test with target audience; check cross-cultural meanings.
N5: Doesn't Work Practically
Symptoms: People misspell it. They mispronounce it. Domain unavailable. Hard to type.
Key questions: Is spelling intuitive from pronunciation? Are there common mistypings? Does it work in all required contexts?
Checklist: spelling matches pronunciation; no typo-prone letter combinations; domain/handles available (if needed); voice search recognizes it (if relevant).
Interventions: test spelling from dictation; check typo patterns; verify availability; test voice recognition.
Four layers to check for alignment: sound, meaning, cultural, functional. Misalignment is what makes a name "feel wrong."
Full lookup catalog — sound patterns, syllable templates, meaning types, cultural conventions, functional tests — in references/layers.md. Read it for brand/product naming or any deep layer analysis; quick naming can work from the states alone.
- Identify the problem state — N1 (feels wrong), N2 (disjointed family), N3 (forgettable), N4 (wrong signals), N5 (practical issues)
- Analyze by layer — sound, meaning, cultural, functional. Check alignment (catalog in
references/layers.md).
- Identify conflicts — where do layers contradict?
- Recommend interventions — based on identified state and conflicts
For brand/product names: SHOULD run phases sequentially (Discovery → Synthesis → Evaluation → Validation) rather than generating and evaluating in the same pass. Discovery constrained by premature evaluation produces mediocre patterns.
For quick naming (character names, places, skill names): use diagnostic states directly.
The Kitchen Sink — trying to communicate everything in one name. Fix: pick one primary message.
The Inside Joke — meaning only creators understand. Fix: test with naive users.
The Sound-Alike — too similar to existing names. Fix: check competitors; verify distinctiveness.
The Unpronounceable — looks interesting but no one can say it. Fix: test pronunciation; simplify clusters.
The Apostrophe Catastrophe — random apostrophes for "exotic" feel. Fix: if using, define what they mean; use sparingly.
