From empire-product
Diagnoses why names fail across sound, meaning, cultural, functional layers and guides creation of effective brand, product, skill, character, place names. Use for off-feeling, disjointed, forgettable names.
How this skill is triggered — by the user, by Claude, or both
Slash command
/empire-product:mintThe summary Claude sees in its skill listing — used to decide when to auto-load this skill
<section id="core">
Names operate on multiple layers that must align. When layers align, names feel inevitable. When they conflict, names feel wrong even if no one can articulate why.
Four layers: sound, meaning, cultural, functional. Problems arise from layer conflicts — sound says "playful" but meaning says "serious"; cultural layer says "luxury" but the name is a typo trap.
Symptoms: Stakeholders reject names but can't say why. Gut reactions are negative despite meeting requirements. Something's "off."
Key questions: Do sounds match intended emotional tone? Is there a meaning conflict between layers? Does it violate category expectations?
Checklist: sound pattern matches desired attributes; no unintended negative associations; pronunciation is intuitive; fits cultural context.
Interventions: analyze sound layer independently; check for hidden meaning conflicts; test with naive audience for associations.
Symptoms: Product family feels disjointed. Names seem from different worlds. No cultural coherence.
Key questions: Is there a consistent sound palette? Do syllable structures match? Is there a unifying pattern?
Checklist: phoneme inventory defined; syllable templates consistent; naming conventions documented; outliers identified.
Interventions: define phoneme inventory; establish syllable templates (CV, CVC, CVCV, etc.); create naming conventions; regenerate outliers.
Symptoms: People can't recall the name. It blends into category. No distinctive hook.
Key questions: Is there a memorable sound pattern? Does it have a meaning anchor? Is it too similar to alternatives?
Checklist: distinctive sound feature; meaning hook exists (metaphor, unexpected reference); differentiated from competitors; passes "phone test" (easy to convey verbally).
Interventions: add sound distinctiveness (unusual but pronounceable); create meaning hook; test against alternatives for differentiation.
Symptoms: Audience interprets name differently than intended. Wrong category assumptions. Unintended associations.
Key questions: What does this name sound like it should be? What category conventions is it following/breaking? Are there unfortunate associations?
Checklist: sound patterns match intended category; cultural references understood by audience; no negative meanings in target markets; international check done (if relevant).
Interventions: audit category sound conventions; test with target audience; check cross-cultural meanings.
Symptoms: People misspell it. They mispronounce it. Domain unavailable. Hard to type.
Key questions: Is spelling intuitive from pronunciation? Are there common mistypings? Does it work in all required contexts?
Checklist: spelling matches pronunciation; no typo-prone letter combinations; domain/handles available (if needed); voice search recognizes it (if relevant).
Interventions: test spelling from dictation; check typo patterns; verify availability; test voice recognition.
| Sound Pattern | Association | Use For |
|---|---|---|
| Depth sounds (ɑ, o, u, m, n) | Weight, seriousness, gravitas | Authority brands, serious products |
| Light sounds (i, e, l, s) | Speed, precision, elegance | Tech, luxury, agile brands |
| Power sounds (k, t, p, x) | Strength, impact, decisiveness | Performance, action brands |
| Flow sounds (l, r, w) | Movement, continuity, grace | Movement, creative, flow states |
| Tech sounds (x, z, -ix, -ex) | Modern, digital, technical | Tech products, futuristic contexts |
High-frequency sounds feel natural and trustworthy (t, n, s, k, m, p, l, r). Low-frequency sounds feel distinctive and exotic (x, z, q). Use common sounds for accessibility; rare sounds for distinctiveness. Too many rare sounds = unpronounceable.
| Syllable Pattern | Feel | Example |
|---|---|---|
| CV | Open, flowing | Sora, Kano |
| CVC | Solid, complete | Mark, Bond |
| CVCV | Balanced, memorable | Toyota, Roku |
| CCV | Dynamic, energetic | Slack, Stripe |
| Type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Descriptive | Says what it is | General Motors |
| Metaphorical | Implies qualities | Amazon, Apple |
| Abstract | Coined, meaning assigned | Kodak, Xerox |
| Portmanteau | Blended words |
Best names work on multiple levels — literal, metaphorical, and cultural.
| Category | Convention |
|---|---|
| Luxury fashion | French/Italian sounds |
| Tech startups | Dropped vowels, -ly, -ify |
| Developer tools | Short verbs, power sounds (vet, recon, probe) |
| Pharmaceuticals | X, Z, scientific suffixes |
Strategic choice: follow conventions to signal belonging; break them to differentiate.
| Test | Pass Criterion |
|---|---|
| Spelling | Intuitive from pronunciation |
| Pronunciation | Intuitive from spelling |
| Typing | No awkward key combinations |
| Search | Returns relevant results |
| Domain | Available or acceptable variant |
For brand/product names: SHOULD run phases sequentially (Discovery → Synthesis → Evaluation → Validation) rather than generating and evaluating in the same pass. Discovery constrained by premature evaluation produces mediocre patterns.
For quick naming (character names, places, skill names): use diagnostic states directly.
The Kitchen Sink — trying to communicate everything in one name. Fix: pick one primary message.
The Inside Joke — meaning only creators understand. Fix: test with naive users.
The Sound-Alike — too similar to existing names. Fix: check competitors; verify distinctiveness.
The Unpronounceable — looks interesting but no one can say it. Fix: test pronunciation; simplify clusters.
The Apostrophe Catastrophe — random apostrophes for "exotic" feel. Fix: if using, define what they mean; use sparingly.
Provides a checklist for code reviews covering functionality, security, performance, maintainability, tests, and quality. Use for pull requests, audits, team standards, and developer training.
npx claudepluginhub marcoskichel/empire --plugin empire-product