COP 3 Practical: Name Generation

In order to further the ideation process (see figure 1) I decided to research further into the skincare/cosmetic industry in order to help identify other areas I could draw inspiration from for the name of the my skincare brand. Initially I started by looking at word association to see if I could develop a name from there however this had limited success as many of the words I came up with where obvious such as glow, radiant etc. Therefore I looked at existing brands in order to see what inspired there name, this lead to the discovery that Aesop (greek storyteller) and Panacea (goddess of universal remedy) both get there name from greek mythology. This lead me to research other greek (see figure 2)god surrounding healing, beauty and health. I discovered a number of gods and goddesses such as Asclepius (god of healing and medicine), Hygiea (goddess of cleanliness and good health), however both of these had their issues as Hygiea sounds too much like hygiene and Asclepius is too difficult to read/pronounce. Therefore I decided to look further into healing and remedies, leading to Iaso (goddess of recuperation) and Aegle (goddess of a healthy glow). In addition to looking at greek mythology I decided to research the origins of skincare/cosmetics, which originated in ancient Egypt around 6000 years ago (see figure 2). Around the same time both the Greek and Romans started to follow suit, using natural hand made cosmetics for rituals. This lead to the discovery of Heka (Egyptian god of healing and medicine). Interestingly the first cold cream was made in Europe not long after out of rose, water and beeswax.  

Once I had completed this research I narrowed down the list of options (see figure 3) in order to help identify any potential issues with the names and choose one. Upon self evaluation and peer feedback, the two most successful names where Heka due to its historical relevance and Iaso due to its link to recuperation and rejuvenation. Earlier names such as Happy Humans and 71+ where interesting however I felt they where too focus on the gender neutral aspect to the brand as I want the brand to be accessible to everyone not just those who don't subscribe to gender 'norms' within society. Furthermore Happy Humans sounds too much like a children's brand and when written down 71+ gives the impression the brand would be for older people rather than representing the fact that there are over 71 gender identities within the world. 

Upon receiving peer feedback Heka was the favoured of the final name options due to its lack of gender connotations and link to the history of skincare and cosmetics. Although many people liked Iaso it was suggested that it sounded too corporate which could deter consumers.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3