Amazon's smile arrow only works because the name has an "A" and "Z." Twitter's bird needs a short, tweet-like name. Design your name and logo together - doing them separately means one will always compromise the other.
Name-First Approach
Choose name, then design logo around it. Limits visual options. Wordmarks work, pictorial marks struggle.
Logo-First Approach
Design symbol, then name it. Creates naming constraints. Often results in forced metaphors.
Simultaneous Design
Brainstorm both together. Apple (fruit name) → apple icon. Nike (goddess name) → swoosh of movement. Natural synergy.
Initial Letters Matter
McDonald's M, Motorola M, Microsoft M. Monogram logos need strong first letters. "Qwerty Solutions" limits you.
Pronunciation Shapes Visuals
Hard consonants (K, T, P) → angular logos. Soft sounds (S, M, L) → curved logos. Name phonetics inform design.
Warning: Changing logo costs £5,000-50,000. Changing name costs £100,000+. Get synergy right at launch or live with misalignment forever.
Generic Names Can't Be Trademarked
If you want legal protection and a name competitors can't copy, make it distinctive from day one. Distinctive names enable distinctive logos.