So you’re a seasoned design professional with years of valuable experience and the right tools to start your graphic design business, but you’ve hit a wall in the creative process. You don’t have a solid graphic design business name.
And although you’ve got great experience creating top-level designs for businesses, there’s still an innate worry that the name you’re chewing on isn’t enough to set your business apart from its bloodthirsty competitors.
Recognizing the fact that having an excellent graphic design business name is something that’ll help your business stand out even better, is a step in the right direction.
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Graphic design has played important roles in the success of businesses all over the world.
For one, businesses that encourage design creativity achieve an increase of 219% in market share than those who don’t, and that’s why it doesn’t surprise us that 67% of small businesses believe that the benefits they attract with graphic designs would more than double in five years.
Now, for your graphic design business to stand out, and be successful, it needs a name that captures your very essence, and we’ve assembled the ultimate guide to help you build the perfect design name.
Check it out.
Here’s Why You Need Strong Graphic Design Business Names
Usually, your family and friends know that when it comes to graphic designs, you’re like a well-trained design ninja. They’ve seen you create amazing concepts from thin air, breathe life into lifeless ideas, and perform several graphic design miracles.
They know you’ve got what it takes to be the next big thing, but you know who doesn’t? The customer. And this is why you need a creative name for your graphic design business. A name that’ll not only catch their attention but make them want to work with you.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a freelance graphic designer, a team of designers, or even a design studio. You need a name that’ll make a great first impression in the minds of customers because people buy out of emotion and justify it with logic.
And trust us; you need a creative graphic design business name to give your business that fighting chance in an already flooded market.
Companies With Great Graphic Design Business Names
Have it in mind that getting a strong name isn’t impossible. We’ve gathered some successful graphic design businesses that set the stage for their success by using powerful names that not only connect to their customer’s emotions but sets them apart in the international design industry.
Take a look at some of them.
- Meta Design
- Happy Cog
- Pearlfisher
- Charlie Smith Design
- Saffron Brand Consulting
- Fireart Studio
Still wondering how they got it right? First, these names sound nice, they have a pleasant rhythm, they’re easy to remember because they do an excellent job of suggesting the possibilities available to customers.
Each of these names stands out in their own way, but somehow manages to easily fit into the design industry.
But it doesn’t end there. Take another look at these names, and you’ll realize that one thing they have in common is the fact that customers can easily visualize them. And these are essential things your graphic design business name must capture.
Clever Graphic Design Business Names To Inspire You
Yes, naming a business can be one of the trickiest parts of starting a business, and that’s why we’ve taken the time to select some graphic design business names from naming experts to inspire you.
Feast your eyes.
- Night Studios
- Aqua Designs
- Sweet Pixels
- Wicked Duck
- Kinetic Hype
- Color Lane
- Angle Spark
- Meld Lab
- Scarlet Arc
- Design Ring
These names are fun, easy to spell and remember, and also capture the very essence of design; taking something bland and making something amazing out of it.
Also, these names are guaranteed to catch your customer’s attention and lure them to your business by giving them an immediate perception of your brand’s value and purpose.
They’d literally take customers down the Color Lane, through Design Rings, and into your studio.
How to Choose Perfect Graphic Design Business Names
Now that you know what creative names for graphic design businesses look like, and what makes them work, let’s get into how you can generate one for business without falling into the ever-present naming black hole.
Brainstorm
Brainstorming remains the most effective way of getting amazing names for your graphic design business.
But before pulling out those notepads, thesauruses, and dictionaries, you need to understand the elements of your graphic design business, because this would go a long way in simplifying your brainstorming session.
Before starting your brainstorming session, take the time to write out these elements because they’ll also serve as the naming criteria of your design business.
Ask yourself, what are your…
- Big Ideas: What values define your brand, its creativity, and its role in the market?
- Value: What makes your brand special?
- Brand Story: How did your business begin? How has it grown?
- Target Audience: What type of customers do you intend to appeal to? In essence, what’s your design niche?
- Benefits: How can your design services help your customers?
- Feelings: What emotions do you want to stir in your customers?
- Value Proposition: What should customers expect from your designs?
Now that you know what the elements of your design business are, whip out those dictionaries and notepads because it’s time to get that graphic design business name you wanted.
First: Assemble Your Team
In brainstorming, two minds are better than one. So, get your teammates involved, discuss your brand’s elements, so everyone knows the exact kinds of graphic design business names needed.
And if you’re a one-person army, then there’s nothing to worry about, just start brainstorming.
Second: Brainstorm
Now it’s time to put on your thinking cap and start writing as many names as you can come up with. The goal here is to get as many graphic design business names as possible.
Scour through your dictionaries and thesauruses, and look for words that match the value you want your business to communicate, and write them down.
Make sure your list contains as many names as you can find. And yes, write down the good, the bad, and the ugly names. Who knows, you might find gold there.
Brainstorming a befitting name for your graphic design business might take a while, but keep at it because the right name is definitely worth it.
One more thing, don’t take yourself too seriously. Always remember to have fun.
Third: Filter
Now that you’ve got a list of names that match the values of your business, it’s time to filter.
Take the time to consider each name on your list. Do a thorough online search with any search engine, or through the UPTO’s site, and filter out names that have either been taken, or sound too familiar to a competitor’s name. You don’t want to mislead potential customers.
If over six names survive the filtering process, then ask yourself if these names would be memorable to customers, if it communicates the right emotions, and if it’ll let your graphic design business scale when the time comes.
Check Web Availability
The online presence of a graphic design business, in today’s world, is its lifeblood, so make sure that whatever name you choose for your business has an available domain name, preferably a .com domain, and active social media handles.
Your website would deliver a huge chunk of exposure, so it’s crucial that it’s easy to spell and easy to find.
And yes, you must’ve figured it out by now, but only pick business names with available domains.
Use Your Name, or Don’t
Yep. This is one major naming black-hole entrepreneurs face when trying to select suitable graphic design business names.
A lot of designers get bogged down trying to decide if they should get a business name, or just use their name.
Although no rule says a graphic design business must use a design-ish name, it’s important to know that the name of your graphic design business goes a long way in influencing its success.
It can affect the kind of jobs you get, how much you’re paid, and how memorable your business is in the minds of its customers.
Take your time to decide which direction you want to go, but whatever you do, steer clear from names like ‘Average Joe’s Designs’. You don’t need us to tell you that they can hurt, rather than help your design business.
Sometimes, using your name, as the name of your business leads to a weak trademark.
You’ve Got to Love the Name
Whether you used your name, or you generated one from a brainstorming session, don’t make the mistake of picking a name that you, or your fellow teammates, aren’t proud of.
For one, you’d have to say your business name in front of your customers, teammates, employees, and even investors. Believe it or not, everyone can tell when you’re not passionate about your business name. And this is something that can hurt your ROI.
Pick a business name, and if you and your employees love it, then your customers would love it too.
Stuck? Confused? Get Professional Help
Finding solid graphic design business names isn’t a walk in the park. Naming, more often than not, turns into an emotional roller-coaster of hope and disappointments.
And just like we mentioned earlier, getting perfect graphic design business names can take a lot of time. Not to mention that it gets worse if you’re a perfectionist.
Most designers, caught in an endless cycle of brainstorming, end up wasting valuable time, time that could’ve been spent putting a smile on a client’s face. And this is where it becomes necessary to engage with business naming professionals.
Let naming professionals generate solid graphic design business names for you, while you focus on creating brilliant typographies and making your customers happy.
Audience Testing, Communication Is Key
Phew! Finally, you’ve found the perfect name for your graphic design business. But before you start creating that logo you’ve been itching to build, make sure your business name has been tested with an audience.
Why? Remember Nokia Lumia? Yes, Lumia translates as a prostitute in Spanish. Yikes! It’s going to be difficult for Spanish people to take Nokia’s Lumia seriously. Obviously, you don’t want something like that happening to your design business.
So make sure you test that name, and you can easily do that by simply having your graphic design business name undergo a crowded bar test, and the C.A.R.E checklist to confirm if your business name is Contextual, Appealing, Remarkable, and Evocative.
Secure Your Business Name with Trademarks
As strange as it sounds, words are no longer easy to come by. Millions of businesses are registered yearly, and this means that a lot of words you could’ve used have already been claimed by other businesses, maybe even your competitor.
Research your graphic design business name extensively. Find out if any competitor has chosen it already, if they haven’t, then go ahead and get your business name trademarked.
If it’s already taken, then it’s best you avoid the name entirely and choose another one.
The last thing you want is to drag your design business through countless legal issues that’ll do a complete job of damaging your reputation, and your finances. Something your business may never recover from.
How To Register Graphic Design Business Names
Once you’ve confirmed that your graphic design business name hasn’t been taken, it’s time to proceed with the trademarks and make your business official.
Steps To Registering Your Business
But before trademarking graphic design business names, or any name in general, you’d need to have already started using the business name. This way you have visual and social proof that the business name you’re about to register is already connected to your business.
Know Your Business’s Legal Configuration
The legal configuration of your business is important. Each type of configuration you choose for your business, whether LLC or Partnership, all come with different legal implications.
Your business’s configuration, legally, would also determine if they’d be additional registration requirements. You won’t need to register your business at the state level if you set it up as a sole proprietorship,
If you are a freelance graphic designer, then you can register your business as a sole proprietorship at first, and as your business grows, you can change it to a limited liability company (LLC).
Get Registered
Fictitious Names, Doing Business As (DBA), or Assumed Names, are all terms that refer to the name your business would take during the registration process.
As an entrepreneur, by default, your business name is going to be your full name. For a partnership, it’s the name stated in the partnership agreement. For LLCs and corporations, the business name is the name registered with the state government.
The beautiful part about registering your design business is its simplicity. Make sure you use your business name during the registration.
You can easily register your graphic design business names online by:
- Visiting the United States Patent Office.
- Click on Trademark
- Click on Apply for a trademark.
- Click on Initial Application Form
- Fill out the application.
- Submit the form.
Voila! You’ve completed the first part of registering your business.
But it doesn’t end here because after submitting the form, you’d have to exercise a lot of patience since the entire process takes about six to nine months.
And within this time you’d be receiving a bunch of spam emails asking you to pay extra fees to keep your application active, but keep your eyes open for emails from the USPTO because that’s what you’re looking for.
Graphic Design Is More Than Just Business
To a graphic designer, design is more than just business. It’s a thing of love and passion, so getting suitable graphic design business names is a priority. How else would the world know how special your business is?
Again, Millo readers, good design is good business, so avoid namer’s remorse, and remember to always protect your business name.
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