Making Intangible Products Tangible Through Metaphor

The art of naming requires making abstract products tangible through metaphor and experience rather than description.

When naming intangible products like software, the key is to transform them into tangible experiences that customers can grasp emotionally. This approach creates distinctive, memorable names that stand out in crowded markets.

The Windsurf Naming Case Study

• The original name "Codium" (for a coding tool) was technical and abstract
• The winning name "Windsurf" succeeded because it:
  • Represented the core experience of flow and dynamic movement
  • Created a visual metaphor that made the intangible product tangible
  • Used a compound word that multiplies associations (wind + surf = 3x impact)
  • Evoked feelings that aligned with the product experience

Making Intangible Products Tangible

• For abstract products (like software, services, platforms):

  • Focus on the experience the product creates, not its technical function
  • Ask: "What physical activity or object creates a similar feeling?"
  • Look outside your industry for metaphors (sports, nature, physical activities)
  • Consider how the product makes users feel, not just what it does

• Example approach: "This is about flow, about giving people that are coding something much more of a flow process, a smoother process, a more dynamic process"

Practical Application

• When naming abstract products:

  • Identify the core experience your product delivers
  • Look for physical-world metaphors that evoke similar feelings
  • Explore unrelated domains (sports, nature, travel) for inspiration
  • Test if people can immediately visualize or feel something when hearing the name
  • Ask: "Does this name help people imagine what using our product feels like?"

• For AI and technical products specifically:

  • Move away from technical-sounding names (avoid -ium endings)
  • Choose names that make the technology feel approachable and natural
  • Create names that help non-technical users understand the experience

The goal is to create a name that transforms your abstract product into something people can visualize, feel, and connect with emotionally.