For this chapter of Bold Talent, we spotlight David Ormondroyd, a naming specialist and creative strategist whose work sits at the crossroads of language, identity, and emotion. We invited David to Justified to give a talk to our full team.
The power (and pain) of naming.
In his talk to Justified Studio, David unpacked the strange magic of naming, a process he describes as equal parts creative craft, psychological negotiation, and emotional rollercoaster.
Drawing on years of guiding brands through the delicate act of choosing the words they’ll live with forever, he spoke about why names matter, why they’re hard, and why they’re worth fighting for.
David doesn’t romanticise the naming process, he honours it. “The power and pain of naming,” as he puts it, lies in the fact that a single word can shape perception, expectation, and meaning before anything else has the chance to. It’s the smallest element of a brand, yet often the one that carries the most weight.
Reinvention through language.
A name change, David reminds us, isn’t just cosmetic, it’s catalytic. “A name change can be a chance to redefine, re-energise, and reintroduce.” It’s an opportunity to reframe a narrative, reset a relationship, or bring a brand back into alignment with who it has become.
Naming inevitably invites opinion, and resistance. David encourages reframing the common client refrain of “I don’t like it.” Rather than retreating, he sees it as an opening. “Use every client interaction as a chance for direction,” he says. Interrogate the discomfort. Understand what sits beneath it. The tension becomes part of the process.
Imagery from Luke's recent trip to Japan.
“Naming is rarely love at first sight; it’s a relationship. Messy, fun, emotional and unpredictable.”David Ormondroyd
Navigating subjectivity.
Naming inevitably invites opinion, and resistance. David encourages reframing the common client refrain of “I don’t like it.” Rather than retreating, he sees it as an opening. “Use every client interaction as a chance for direction,” he says. Interrogate the discomfort. Understand what sits beneath it. The tension becomes part of the process.
For David, a name is more than a label; it’s connective tissue. “A name can be the glue that binds together the product, strategy and identity.” It can carry a founding truth, set an emotional tone, or signal how a brand wants to show up in the world. In the best cases, the name is the story.
Above all, David believes naming is a slow burn, something you grow into. “Naming is rarely love at first sight, it’s a relationship. Messy, fun, emotional and unpredictable.” It evolves with familiarity. It gains richness through use. And over time, it becomes inseparable from the organisation it represents.
