What's in a name?

Last year I attended a conference for independent designers. About 400 like minded individuals attended. As we sat at our oversized conference table of about 15, we handed out our cards and introduced ourselves and our company. Now talk about a tough crow. We know cards. We all design them. But the name of everyone's business was what intrigued me. We would later have an entire break out section about naming alone. I had a meeting with one of the panelists who told me to change the name of my company. I listened to all his advice but that one. A year later I only remember the name of one other studio: Anne Likes Red.
Playful, unique and a nod to what she does. So in the era of google and yahoo, companies like A Hundred Monkeys do it really well. And of course, love the name.

Turned off by a tag line

A tag line has a purpose. It can act as a descriptor for your business. And when a business uses a name (ie winter and construction) which says nothing of what you do, then a tag line is even more needed. Sometimes a company's tag reinforces the philosophy (ie Nike: just do it). A couple of weeks ago I drove past a bar in River North. As usual, signage always catches my eye. And the name I found appealing. Stone Lotus. The lotus flower has a lot of meaning in yoga. And using stone was an intriguing mix of organic and cold. But what really stood out was the tagline: Lounge, Restaurant and Liquor Spa. I was immediately turned off. Liquor is not a great word to begin with. There's something unsophisticated about that. It reminds me of a cheap corner store that someone runs into to buy beer to watch a game on a sunday. Or a bottle of something stronger. But spa? Spa to me means escape. Relax. Get away. So when you put Liquor Spa together it says escaping with alcohol. And not in a good way. The funny thing is, buy the looks of the inside, it looks like a beautiful space. But with events like Booty Camp, I probably wasn't their market anyway.

Good design doesn't need to be explained

I see that the Art Institute of Chicago has a new logo.
And while I envy the design studio that got that project, I am not a fan of the end result. It looks like a typo was made. And while I read the rationale, there seems to be a disconnect. Perhaps is the Roman U was done in a completely different type face, it would seem more deliberate. Good design doesn't need to be explained, it needs to be understood.