[iFerret]

I'm doing web design on-the-side of school and "work", and a client said to me why don't I have a company name. I said there was no reason and somehow the subject was changed. But it did get met thinking.

I've decided that I need a name for company/thing and a name for what I do.

The way I see it, I'm a web designer, web developer and site manager - like a complete solution, really. So, perhaps instead of using "Web Designer" as my title, I could use something different, but I don't know what to use. (That's name number 1 for you to think about)

The other thing I need is a name for the acutal business. I get called Cow a lot by my friends and stuff, so I'm definitely thinking something with Cow in it. Obviously, catchy is best and the other requirement for this is that it needs to have the .com available.

I've tried a few different things, but I just can't settle on any of them, and then I can't think of anything better. Runs in the family - my Mum had a bitch of a time naming me apparently.

Hoping someone can help me think of a name...
Thanks,
Anthony

[Foj]

iFerret's Crazy Wacky Web Design Cow

[Moogs]

BovineDesign

[scratt]

Mad Cow Designs

[thegeriatric]

(Web Designs by) The Complete Solution.

If you look for it COW is included.

[709]

SpiderCow Design

"I churn out the web."

[Fahrenheit]

MooCow Webdesigns.

[LudwigVan]

Farenheit stole my "Moo Cow" phrase.

CowCoder?

[Schnauzer]

CheeseCow

"We save you the cheese, but you get the whole cow"

[Yonzie]

A name related to webdesign (to make it obvious what you do) is nice in the beginning when the customers find you.
However, if you are good at what you do and treat your customers right, you will find the name will cease to matter due to word of mouth advertising.
Therefore, I will humbly suggest that your name does not need to be related in any way to what you do. It does need to be distinctive, however. Something easy to remember.

Edit: Yesterday, I saw a carpenter's van. His business name was "Cand. Skru." which at first glance looks like a nice title on a business card, but when you say it out loud, it says (in danish obviously) "can screw" which is exactly what a carpenter does. He screws boards together. Brilliant name and I'm hoping that he puts as much effort into his craftsmanship as he did in the name. (I've had absolutely terrible experiences with virtually every craftsman that's done anything for me).

[colivigan]

There's a good Far Side joke in here somewhere, but I'm udderly stumped.

[Foj]

That post was just moooooving, UncleJohn.

[709]

That's the worst joke I've ever herd.

[thegeriatric]

Originally Posted by 709 That's the worst joke I've ever herd.

[psmith2.0]

CodeCow

Gives you a "CC" initials/shortcut, which, graphically, you could do tons with (branding iron motif...do they brand cows?)



Or something with underscores, colons, slashes, etc. Make the words CodeCow look like code, with some sort of "<" or whatever worked in?

Too bad Gateway seems to have a lock on that whole "black/white cow pattern" thing, because you could certainly work that in to nice effect as well.

Something I like seeing is when I modern, tech-oriented outfit uses a very "opposite" image for its identity. You'd expect a web designer/developer, etc. to have a very snazzy, modern, rounded, "techie" logo or image. But if I'm in your shoes, I play up that cow and barn/farm angle a skootch. Or I have a logo that's catchy because, at first glance, you thinking you're looking at a milk or dairy logo (cow head with a bell, rolling hills, nice arched type with a rustic/casual feel, cow's bell, milking stool, etc.), but you twist it back to the web/design/tech thing with unexpected coloring or illustration style (the logo/cow is done in a digital/tech sort of way...pixels or scan lines, etc. or some sort of catchy twist).

I don't know...I'm just yammering out ideas as they come.



But I think a lot of web/tech outfits have logos and identities that play up that exact thing (web, tech, digital, etc.), and they all kinda run together (same sort of typography and graphics, etc.), or look all like variations of the same type of deal. But if your friends call you "cow", they've provided you with a wonderful hook/element for you to run with! That's often half the battle...

[lightning_bug]

If you can afford Christopher Walken as a spokesperson, there's only one possible name for your company:

Cowbell Solutions.

[Moogs]

Or that could be part of the slogan instead

"We give your site that extra bit of cow bell!"

[psmith2.0]

Or, even punchier, "You need more cowbell."

[zsummers]

Or just nip it down a bit further: "More Cowbell." Or perhaps just "More Cow." Kind of like "Moo Cow," kind of like "More Cowbell." Has a certain ring.

I'm also partial to Moog's "BovineDesign."

[curiousuburb]

COWWW Creative

"Design with no Bull"

[iFerret]

Okay. Thanks to everyone who responded. Your suggestions were all good and I enjoyed reading them. Being a Far Side fane (kind of) I also enjoyed the Far Side reference, etc.

In the end, I went with Bovine Design as the name and a slogan which I haven't quite worked out based on some of the ideas here. I'm going to use several slogans, tied into different things, so everyone's suggestion have been used mangled into these slogans (or rather, will be - it's about half done).

Paul's ideas have also been taken into account, and when I get around to opening Photoshop one day, I'll be thinking about that sort of thing.

Anyways, thanks to all, and I'm going to +rep you guys.

[nikopolidis]

Cool On-line Web (COW)
iFerret's Webby

[Fooboy]

fattened calf design slaughterhouse

[Dave]

Originally Posted by iFerret Paul's ideas have also been taken into account, and when I get around to opening Photoshop one day, I'll be thinking about that sort of thing.

You're using "More Cowbell" as your slogan? The company t-shirts are ready to go!