Bye bye, Ian Brown Design
When I started Ian Brown Design, one of the things that frustrated me was that the most imaginative name I could conjure up was my name and what I did. The thing is, it wasn’t the most imaginative name I had conceived.
Back in the day, last century as it was, when I started my business, I did come up with lots of options for the company name. After spending a week or two brainstorming ideas, I tested them among friends and peers. Some names were polarising; people either loved them or hated them. Some polled well but never top of the pops. I applied a scoring system to the options: three for a win, two for a second, and a point for third place. The most creative names, in my opinion, would either come first or near last. Ian Brown Design was consistent, always scoring well, never coming first, hardly ever not scoring, usually second or third, always scoring consistently.
Back in the day, last century as it was, when I started my business, I did come up with lots of options for the company name. After spending a week or two brainstorming ideas, I tested them among friends and peers. Some names were polarising; people either loved them or hated them. Some polled well but never top of the pops. I applied a scoring system to the options: three for a win, two for a second, and a point for third place. The most creative names, in my opinion, would either come first or near last. Ian Brown Design was consistent, always scoring well, never coming first, hardly ever not scoring, usually second or third, always scoring consistently.
Back in the day, last century as it was, when I started my business, I did come up with lots of options for the company name. After spending a week or two brainstorming ideas, I tested them among friends and peers. Some names were polarising; people either loved them or hated them. Some polled well but never top of the pops. I applied a scoring system to the options: three for a win, two for a second, and a point for third place. The most creative names, in my opinion, would either come first or near last. Ian Brown Design was consistent, always scoring well, never coming first, hardly ever not scoring, usually second or third, always scoring consistently.
I love my sporting analogies. In 1982, Keke Rosberg won the Formula 1 working championship, having only won one race. He scored consistently well but only came first once. For me, the choice of my company name was like the 1982 Formula 1 world champion: consistent but very rarely came first that year. This isn’t about taking anything away from a world champion. Keke was, and probably still is, an amazing driver, but he won a world championship, winning one of 16 races. Miguel Induráin won five Tour de France titles in 12 attempts, yet he only won 12 individual stages. He would blow people away in the time trials. The race of truth where rather than riding each other on an open stage, you ride against the clock. Time trials are interesting, but the stages with sprints and across the mountains are why I watch the tour. Big Mig was good in the mountains, but he averaged one stage win for every year he rode in the tour. Tadej Pogačar has won 17 stages and the title three times in his five attempts and finished second in the other two. He is brilliant to watch; winning and entertaining are more important than just. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying these champions are vanilla or undeserving of their titles. They were great at what they did, much better than I am at what I do. It’s just that they’re not the most inspiring champions of all time. If you surveyed fans who is, they might score consistently well, but they wouldn’t win many surveys. Maybe one in 16.
I love my sporting analogies. In 1982, Keke Rosberg won the Formula 1 working championship, having only won one race. He scored consistently well but only came first once. For me, the choice of my company name was like the 1982 Formula 1 world champion: consistent but very rarely came first that year. This isn’t about taking anything away from a world champion. Keke was, and probably still is, an amazing driver, but he won a world championship, winning one of 16 races. Miguel Induráin won five Tour de France titles in 12 attempts, yet he only won 12 individual stages. He would blow people away in the time trials. The race of truth where rather than riding each other on an open stage, you ride against the clock. Time trials are interesting, but the stages with sprints and across the mountains are why I watch the tour. Big Mig was good in the mountains, but he averaged one stage win for every year he rode in the tour. Tadej Pogačar has won 17 stages and the title three times in his five attempts and finished second in the other two. He is brilliant to watch; winning and entertaining are more important than just. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying these champions are vanilla or undeserving of their titles. They were great at what they did, much better than I am at what I do. It’s just that they’re not the most inspiring champions of all time. If you surveyed fans who is, they might score consistently well, but they wouldn’t win many surveys. Maybe one in 16.
I love my sporting analogies. In 1982, Keke Rosberg won the Formula 1 working championship, having only won one race. He scored consistently well but only came first once. For me, the choice of my company name was like the 1982 Formula 1 world champion: consistent but very rarely came first that year. This isn’t about taking anything away from a world champion. Keke was, and probably still is, an amazing driver, but he won a world championship, winning one of 16 races. Miguel Induráin won five Tour de France titles in 12 attempts, yet he only won 12 individual stages. He would blow people away in the time trials. The race of truth where rather than riding each other on an open stage, you ride against the clock. Time trials are interesting, but the stages with sprints and across the mountains are why I watch the tour. Big Mig was good in the mountains, but he averaged one stage win for every year he rode in the tour. Tadej Pogačar has won 17 stages and the title three times in his five attempts and finished second in the other two. He is brilliant to watch; winning and entertaining are more important than just. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying these champions are vanilla or undeserving of their titles. They were great at what they did, much better than I am at what I do. It’s just that they’re not the most inspiring champions of all time. If you surveyed fans who is, they might score consistently well, but they wouldn’t win many surveys. Maybe one in 16.
So, after thirty years—and no, this isn’t a midlife or end or (career) life crisis—I decided to drop a name that rated well in research but very rarely topped the ratings. Not even one in 16. Ian Brown Design has done its job telling people who I am and what I do. It frustrates me when I introduce myself as a creative thinker and then say the most creative name I could come up with is my name with design bolted on the end.
So, after thirty years—and no, this isn’t a midlife or end or (career) life crisis—I decided to drop a name that rated well in research but very rarely topped the ratings. Not even one in 16. Ian Brown Design has done its job telling people who I am and what I do. It frustrates me when I introduce myself as a creative thinker and then say the most creative name I could come up with is my name with design bolted on the end.
So, after thirty years—and no, this isn’t a midlife or end or (career) life crisis—I decided to drop a name that rated well in research but very rarely topped the ratings. Not even one in 16. Ian Brown Design has done its job telling people who I am and what I do. It frustrates me when I introduce myself as a creative thinker and then say the most creative name I could come up with is my name with design bolted on the end.
Another thing that prompted me to think about changing the name is that I have started to rekindle my passion for photography, not to make money commercially but to be able to apply my creative passion in other areas away from design. I want to be able to show all my creative work in one place. I need a name that gives me the flexibility to showcase my design work and any other creative work I do. Who knows, I might even feature some of my carpentry work one day. Adding photography, and maybe carpentry, to Ian Brown Design doesn’t make sense. I can’t shoehorn my other creative work into a company with design in the name. So, I have also decided to drop design from the name and find a different way to describe who I am and what I do. I did consider Ian does… and then add whatever field of creative I’m featuring. But I think Debbie has already cornered the market for titles with name plus does in them.
Another thing that prompted me to think about changing the name is that I have started to rekindle my passion for photography, not to make money commercially but to be able to apply my creative passion in other areas away from design. I want to be able to show all my creative work in one place. I need a name that gives me the flexibility to showcase my design work and any other creative work I do. Who knows, I might even feature some of my carpentry work one day. Adding photography, and maybe carpentry, to Ian Brown Design doesn’t make sense. I can’t shoehorn my other creative work into a company with design in the name. So, I have also decided to drop design from the name and find a different way to describe who I am and what I do. I did consider Ian does… and then add whatever field of creative I’m featuring. But I think Debbie has already cornered the market for titles with name plus does in them.
Another thing that prompted me to think about changing the name is that I have started to rekindle my passion for photography, not to make money commercially but to be able to apply my creative passion in other areas away from design. I want to be able to show all my creative work in one place. I need a name that gives me the flexibility to showcase my design work and any other creative work I do. Who knows, I might even feature some of my carpentry work one day. Adding photography, and maybe carpentry, to Ian Brown Design doesn’t make sense. I can’t shoehorn my other creative work into a company with design in the name. So, I have also decided to drop design from the name and find a different way to describe who I am and what I do. I did consider Ian does… and then add whatever field of creative I’m featuring. But I think Debbie has already cornered the market for titles with name plus does in them.
I don’t have any children, but a friend of mine with a few once told me that you don’t survey people with your options. You just have to be bold and give them the name you think is right. Give them a name, and then deal with whatever comes after. And no, I don’t know Elon Musk.
I don’t have any children, but a friend of mine with a few once told me that you don’t survey people with your options. You just have to be bold and give them the name you think is right. Give them a name, and then deal with whatever comes after. And no, I don’t know Elon Musk.
I don’t have any children, but a friend of mine with a few once told me that you don’t survey people with your options. You just have to be bold and give them the name you think is right. Give them a name, and then deal with whatever comes after. And no, I don’t know Elon Musk.
So hello… I’m Ian from Bfor brown, or I’m Ian from Bfor branding, Bfor building, Bfor big ideas, Bfor bold, Bfor anything I can think of that I do, and then make it begin with B. Some companies have a fluid brand identity; I’m going to have a fluid business name, and because I’m a designer, amongst other things, a fluid identity. Bfor ‘bout blooming time.
So hello… I’m Ian from Bfor brown, or I’m Ian from Bfor branding, Bfor building, Bfor big ideas, Bfor bold, Bfor anything I can think of that I do, and then make it begin with B. Some companies have a fluid brand identity; I’m going to have a fluid business name, and because I’m a designer, amongst other things, a fluid identity. Bfor ‘bout blooming time.
So hello… I’m Ian from Bfor brown, or I’m Ian from Bfor branding, Bfor building, Bfor big ideas, Bfor bold, Bfor anything I can think of that I do, and then make it begin with B. Some companies have a fluid brand identity; I’m going to have a fluid business name, and because I’m a designer, amongst other things, a fluid identity. Bfor ‘bout blooming time.