Names and logos are part and parcel of the communication strategy of a product, a brand, a company. However, looking at these productions, we should go beyond their promotional intent.
Naming and sketching a logo imply a great amount of creative work and cause many debates amongst participants because they engage the projected identity of the invention. They force participants to explore yet another design space that is ruled by:
– Authenticity: Names are debated very early on in projects, because actors want to use this means of expression to say something authentic about their invention.
– Originality: Names and logos project the invention in a world where they need to stand out. It means trying out denotations, connotations, sounds, visual effects.
– Condensation: In creative writing, we say that logo and names condense information. That is they force the participant into writing something essential, at the core of the invention.
To know more on how to give a name to a research or design project, see Chapter 4 of The In-discipline of design.