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Process
Apr 03, 2026 · 8 min read
How we run a naming sprint
Five days, four hundred names, one shortlist.
Nora Vale
Founder, Merko
Fig. 01 — Day three: the wall of four hundred
Naming is the most emotional part of any brand project and the one most likely to stall. We run it as a sprint: five days, a fixed shortlist and a decision on Friday.
Monday is territory: the words the brand should sound like. Tuesday and Wednesday are volume — four hundred names on the wall. Thursday is legal and linguistic checks. Friday is three names, said out loud, in a room.
Why out loud
A name is heard far more often than it is read. If it is awkward to say on the phone, it is the wrong name.
WRITTEN BY
Nora Vale
Founder and creative director at Merko. Writes about type, print and the patience good brands need.
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Process
Apr 03 · 8 min
How we run a naming sprint
A brand needs the same three things a print proof does.
Nora Vale
Naming is the most emotional part of any brand project and the one most likely to stall. We run it as a sprint: five days, a fixed shortlist and a decision on Friday.
Monday is territory: the words the brand should sound like. Tuesday and Wednesday are volume — four hundred names on the wall. Thursday is legal and linguistic checks. Friday is three names, said out loud, in a room.
Why out loud
A name is heard far more often than it is read. If it is awkward to say on the phone, it is the wrong name.
Naming
Process
Process