Why Zoo Design? For a number of reasons that fell into place, the name just grew on me.

Ten  years’ ago when I decided to set up the company I needed a name. This is always a very personal thing but I wanted to think  logically first and then from the heart. The method I adopted I would also recommend to other companies when deciding on their corporate name and branding.

These are some of the things I considered when making my decision:

  • What names were the competition using
  • Who was I aiming at
  • Be creative when thinking of the name
  • Make sure it works from different ways
  • Come up with enough choices
  • See what other people think
  • Visualise the brand
  • Keep it short and punchy
  • Name should reflect the business
  • Ensure the name is web-ready
  • Take time to think about it!

The above list features some of the things that I took into consideration when making my final selection of 20 possible names. From this list I narrowed it down to 3 potential options which all answered the above points.

One stood out – and the thinking behind it worked… ‘Zoo Design‘

As a child I developed a keen interest in nature and have always been fascinated by animals and the naturalist Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection. His home, Darwin House, is situated near to where I grew up. The thing that always intrigued me was why animals evolved into so many different shapes, sizes and colours. The reason of course was due to evolution.

Evolution is all about external influences on an animal that make them how they are. This could be the need for camouflage when the hunter is seeking its prey and the ability of the hunted to adapt its own solutions to evade capture. To me this is a great metaphor for how I think about design and how it needs to fit within the requirements of its surroundings and therefor being fit for purpose.

One place to go and see these different animals is in a Zoo and one place to go for creative solutions is Zoo Design.

While it may not be the perfect case study in business name development, my choice of name has sparked many questions regarding its origin. My goal when creating my business name was twofold; firstly to get people intrigued and then to be memorable. I hope you will agree that it has been successful in achieving its purpose.

If you would like to read more detailed tips please go to Choosing your company name