After years of architectural studies, many individuals wish to enter the market as an individual firm to achieve success and to enhance their creativity. But as fascinating as it sounds, setting up a firm is much harder and tedious. When launching a newly formed architecture practice, one of the very first things one must decide is what to call it. The options are many, and the consequences are far-reaching. If the name is intended to portray the firm’s personality, one should take it seriously – and everyone else will. This stage is a huge task and requires a significant amount of brainstorming, because- “It ain’t what they call you, it’s what you answer to”– W.C. Fields.
Just ‘Brainstorm’
During brainstorming, one must keep a few points in mind. For instance, a name should be distinct, easy to pronounce and remember, short and precise, logo-friendly, SEO-friendly, engaging, appropriate, and defines who you are or your work. There are several techniques to locate that elusive business name, but one’s business name must appear in the paper, online, and when people talk about you.
Select a Style
Architecture being a vast field one needs to be clear which subfield they want to practice; and when choosing the name of the firm, you should consider it. If you practice a particular architectural style, like Victorian, Baroque, Bauhaus, Neoclassical, Renaissance, Gothic, or Modernist, in both architecture or interior designing, then you could try including a clue in your company name. Clients interested in the style will consider employing your skills as a result. This can also include whether it should be a modern or traditional name.
For Traditional Name
Many architecture firms have conventional names. These are the names that resulted from combining the initials of the founders’ last names. Or, the name was created by combining the owner’s first and last names. These names are even socially and culturally influenced and even influenced by the kind of work a firm might practice further. The purpose of keeping the name traditional is that it helps evoke trust. While utilizing the initials seems excellent because it incorporates the founder’s name and allows for future expansion, it becomes an issue if the company only has one owner. The problem with using your name is that no one knows who you are. Only when the architect is a superstar, such as Frank Gehry or Richard Meier, does one person’s name produce a distinctive business name. Because their names are brief, they appear nice on architectural company logos, which serve as the firms’ trademarks. One downside of utilizing a founder’s name is that it is difficult to remove the name of a founder who departs the company. Customers may also lack confidence when dealing with someone other than the firm’s owner.
For Modern Name
If traditional business names aren’t your thing, come up with a catchy name. Many architecture business names have a professional tone to them. They might not be an inspiration for your company. In most cases, such titles fail to provide a clear picture of what the companies do. With a memorable name, such as Med-Design, you may explain your unique area of design. If you don’t want a catchy name, use the name of your city, such as ‘Bombay Architects’. Or, combine two words to create a memorable name. For example, ‘Motive’ is a combination of the term’s mod and innovating, which means an innovative method of doing things. The goal is to avoid becoming serious. Such memorable names lend themselves well to architecture.
Keep it Short
Any name that is difficult for others to pronounce should be avoided. Some names borrowed from other cultures for the sake of novelty might be challenging to pronounce for native speakers. Entering a difficult-to-spell word will likely result in it being misspelled in a search box. Confusion among the audience is not conducive to the success of a business.
Keep it Legal
It’s tempting to choose phrases like ‘architect’ or ‘architecture’ as the name of an architectural firm. Yet, there are certain legal issues in utilizing these terms for the firm’s name. The company that uses these terms must have a registered, licensed, or chartered architect in charge of the firm’s architecture services.
…And Last- the ‘Trademark’ thing
The last step is to check whether your desired name is available both in the field as well as in the domains. Even if you choose a name after many brainstorming sessions, it is meaningless if someone has already registered it as a trademark. Therefore, do not finalize the name until you have confirmed its availability for registration with the appropriate authorities. Even if you choose a name after many brainstorming sessions, it won’t matter if someone has already registered it as a trademark. The name must be available as a domain name as well. It is necessary to market your architectural firm and its services online. When planning to create an eye-catching web page design to provide relevant information to clients, the domain name is an unavoidable need for your online address.
