Naming Spectrum Framework

Choose names along a spectrum from descriptive to empty vessel based on how much marketing work you want the name to do

Arielle Jackson
The art of building legendary brands | Arielle Jackson (Google, Square, First Round Capital)

Naming Spectrum Framework

"If your name is Internet Explorer, RIP, I know exactly what you do. If your name is Chrome and you're a designer on the web, you kind of might be like, oh, that makes sense. If your name is Firefox, I have no idea what you did. You just took two words and put them together and made something up." - Arielle Jackson

What It Is

The Naming Spectrum Framework categorizes company and product names along a continuum based on how directly they communicate what the company does. Names range from highly descriptive (telling you exactly what the product does) to empty vessel/fanciful (meaning nothing until marketing creates meaning).

Your position on this spectrum determines how much marketing work your name will do for you versus how much you'll need to invest in making the name meaningful over time.

How It Works

The spectrum has four positions:

1. Descriptive Names

Names that tell you exactly what the company or product does.

  • Example: Internet Explorer (you explore the internet)
  • Advantage: Zero explanation needed
  • Disadvantage: Can feel generic, harder to trademark, limits future expansion

2. Suggestive Names

Names that hint at what the company does without stating it directly.

  • Example: Chrome (the UI area around a browser window, familiar to web designers)
  • Advantage: Some built-in meaning, more trademarkable than descriptive
  • Disadvantage: Requires some context to "click"

3. Evocative Names

Names that create an emotional connection or resonance once you know what the company does.

  • Example: Seesaw (ed tech app for elementary school—evokes childhood, back-and-forth between teacher/student/parent)
  • Example: Maven (learning platform—Yiddish for "one who understands through experience")
  • Advantage: Memorable, emotional, "makes sense" when explained
  • Disadvantage: Requires brief explanation initially

4. Empty Vessel / Fanciful Names

Names with no inherent meaning—they're containers you fill with meaning through marketing.

  • Example: Yahoo, Apple, Nike, Eero
  • Advantage: Highly distinctive, very trademarkable, unlimited flexibility
  • Disadvantage: Requires significant marketing investment to create meaning

How to Apply It

  1. Start with your positioning - Know who you're for and what problem you solve before naming
  2. Decide where on the spectrum you want to land - Consider your marketing budget and timeline
  3. Write a naming brief that includes your preferred spectrum position
  4. Brainstorm across the spectrum - Generate options at each level, then evaluate
  5. Default toward suggestive/evocative if you have limited marketing resources—these names do some work for you

When to Use It

Choose Descriptive when:

  • You're in a category people already understand
  • SEO and searchability matter more than distinctiveness
  • You have limited marketing budget and need instant comprehension

Choose Suggestive/Evocative when:

  • You want memorability and emotional resonance
  • You can afford brief explanation but not massive brand-building campaigns
  • You want the name to "click" once people understand what you do

Choose Empty Vessel when:

  • You have significant marketing resources
  • You want maximum flexibility for future expansion
  • Distinctiveness matters more than instant comprehension
  • You're building a brand that will transcend any single product

Key Insight

"A good name is only going to help you, but a bad name won't hurt a good company... Disney means magic today. Volvo means safety. Those names are not good. If I just put it in a spreadsheet, no one would pick it."

The name is just one part of overall marketing. Strong companies can imbue any name with meaning over time—but a well-chosen name gives you a head start.

Source

  • Guest: Arielle Jackson
  • Episode: "The art of building legendary brands | Arielle Jackson (Google, Square, First Round Capital)"
  • Key Discussion: (00:15:51 - 00:19:16) - Discussion of name types and the spectrum
  • YouTube: Watch on YouTube

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