What is a positioning territory?

The strategic space the brand occupies, not a tagline. It is the answer to what this brand stands for that competitors do not. Generate 3 to 5 territories from six angles: functional benefit, emotional benefit, identity, antagonist (the opposite of an incumbent), originator (the first or only), and worldview. For each, write a one-sentence statement, why it is true, what it rejects, and the risk that makes it fragile.

How many names should I generate?

30 to 50 candidates across at least four naming approaches (descriptive, evocative, founder, acronym, coined, metaphor, compound, suggestive), then filter to 8 to 12 finalists. A short-listable name passes all six criteria: pronounceable in the target languages, spellable without confusion, available as a domain and handles and trademark, distinctive in the category, stretchable as the company grows, and free of negative associations. Most names fail at least one, so the bar is necessarily high.

Why generate options instead of picking one answer?

Because ideation is divergence before convergence. Generating one option and calling it the answer removes the choice, and without options there is no real decision. Each territory and each mood direction also names what it rejects, which is what makes it a genuine position rather than a vague preference.

What makes a good mood direction?

It is distinct enough that a designer would produce visibly different work for each direction. 'Editorial sophistication: warm cream paper backgrounds, classical serifs, archival photography, in the register of a literary journal' is a direction; 'modern and clean' is not. Each direction names its mood adjectives, color and type territory, imagery style, three to five reference brands, and the visual territory it rejects.

When should I run brand-discovery first?

When the audience is unclear. Ideation needs the category, the audience (at least roughly), the reason the brand exists, and the constraints as inputs. If the audience is undefined, run brand-discovery before ideation so the territories are grounded in real research rather than assumptions.

Does ideation produce finished logos?

No. The output of this stage is direction, not finished assets: a chosen positioning territory, 8 to 12 naming finalists, 2 to 4 mood directions, and a narrative shape. Designing logos here is a failure mode; identity work is the next phase, once a direction is chosen.

Skill · Brand ideation

Brand ideation.

Generate real options, then commit to one direction.

The early brand phase, upstream of identity work. Ideation moves through four stages, each one generating options before picking a direction: positioning territories, naming candidates, mood and visual directions, and narrative angles. This is where ideas are cheap and direction matters more than polish.

The output is direction, not finished assets: a chosen positioning with what it rejects, naming finalists that pass the full filter, mood directions a designer could act on, and a narrative shape that fits the founders and the audience.

Audience: founders and brand teams naming a new product, exploring positioning, or trying to converge from many half-formed ideas to one direction.

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The framework

Four stages, each diverge then converge.

Ideation moves through four stages. Each one generates options, then narrows to a direction worth carrying forward.

01Positioning territories: the strategic space the brand occupies. Generate 3 to 5 from six angles (functional, emotional, identity, antagonist, originator, worldview); each names what it rejects.
02Naming directions: 30 to 50 candidates across at least four approaches (descriptive, evocative, coined, metaphor, and more), filtered to 8 to 12 that pass all six naming criteria.
03Mood and visual direction: 2 to 4 directions distinct enough that a designer would produce visibly different work for each, with color and type territory, imagery, and reference brands.
04Narrative and origin: 2 to 3 story shapes (founder, mission, discovery, heritage, frustration, vision), each with an opening line, proof points, and the hero the audience identifies with.

The discipline

Options first, then a deliberate choice.

The point of ideation is divergence followed by a real choice. Generating a single option and calling it the answer removes the choice; without options, there is no decision to make. So each stage produces several candidates before narrowing.

The rejection step is what makes a candidate real. A positioning territory that does not name what it rejects is not a territory, and the same holds for mood directions. 'Editorial sophistication: warm cream backgrounds, classical serifs, archival photography' is a direction a designer can act on; 'modern and clean' is not.

The output is direction, not finished work. Names get the full six-criteria filter before short-listing, because the clever name that fails a trademark or pronunciation check is not a candidate. Logos and identity systems come later, once a direction is chosen.

The brand-creation track

Between discovery and identity.

Ideation is the convergence step. Discovery feeds it the audience and category; identity and the style guide build on the direction it produces.

01
brand-discoveryDiscovery
Audience, competitors, category, and positioning territory. Run it first when the audience is still unclear.
02
brand-ideation (this skill)Ideation
Diverge across positioning, names, moods, and narrative, then converge on one direction.
03
brand-identityIdentity
Turns the chosen direction into the five-element visual system: logo, color, typography, imagery, motion.
04
brand-style-guideDocumentation
Documents the finished system so designers, developers, and vendors can use it without ambiguity.

Reference files

Two references that go alongside the SKILL.md.

references/ideation-output-template.md
The fillable template for the ideation deliverable: chosen positioning, naming finalists, mood directions, and narrative shape.
references/naming-evaluation-rubric.md
The six-criteria naming filter applied with examples: pronounceable, spellable, available, distinctive, stretchable, and free of negative associations.

Browse all reference files on GitHub

Open source under MIT

Read the SKILL.md on GitHub.

The skill source lives in the rampstackco/claude-skills repository alongside dozens of other skills covering the full lifecycle of brand and product work. This page is a structured overview; the SKILL.md is the source. MIT licensed.

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Frequently asked questions.

What is a positioning territory?: The strategic space the brand occupies, not a tagline. It is the answer to what this brand stands for that competitors do not. Generate 3 to 5 territories from six angles: functional benefit, emotional benefit, identity, antagonist (the opposite of an incumbent), originator (the first or only), and worldview. For each, write a one-sentence statement, why it is true, what it rejects, and the risk that makes it fragile.
How many names should I generate?: 30 to 50 candidates across at least four naming approaches (descriptive, evocative, founder, acronym, coined, metaphor, compound, suggestive), then filter to 8 to 12 finalists. A short-listable name passes all six criteria: pronounceable in the target languages, spellable without confusion, available as a domain and handles and trademark, distinctive in the category, stretchable as the company grows, and free of negative associations. Most names fail at least one, so the bar is necessarily high.
Why generate options instead of picking one answer?: Because ideation is divergence before convergence. Generating one option and calling it the answer removes the choice, and without options there is no real decision. Each territory and each mood direction also names what it rejects, which is what makes it a genuine position rather than a vague preference.
What makes a good mood direction?: It is distinct enough that a designer would produce visibly different work for each direction. 'Editorial sophistication: warm cream paper backgrounds, classical serifs, archival photography, in the register of a literary journal' is a direction; 'modern and clean' is not. Each direction names its mood adjectives, color and type territory, imagery style, three to five reference brands, and the visual territory it rejects.
When should I run brand-discovery first?: When the audience is unclear. Ideation needs the category, the audience (at least roughly), the reason the brand exists, and the constraints as inputs. If the audience is undefined, run brand-discovery before ideation so the territories are grounded in real research rather than assumptions.
Does ideation produce finished logos?: No. The output of this stage is direction, not finished assets: a chosen positioning territory, 8 to 12 naming finalists, 2 to 4 mood directions, and a narrative shape. Designing logos here is a failure mode; identity work is the next phase, once a direction is chosen.