# brand-ideation

A skill for the early brand phase: it generates positioning territories, name candidates, mood directions and narratives, then helps you converge on one.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 308 installs · ★ 995
- Author: rampstackco
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/rampstackco/claude-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/brand-ideation/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-19
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/brand-ideation

## What it does

This skill runs before anyone opens a design tool. It diverges first: 3 to 5 positioning territories built from six angles (functional benefit, emotional benefit, identity, antagonist, originator, worldview), 30 to 50 name candidates across at least four approaches, and 2 to 4 mood directions covering colour, type and reference brands. Then it converges, cutting territories, names and narratives down.

Names go through six filters — pronounceable, spellable, available as a domain and social handles, distinctive in the category, stretchable if the company grows, free of negative associations. Out of 30 to 50 candidates, 8 to 12 reach the shortlist. The bar is high on purpose: most names fail at least one filter.

To start, the skill needs the category or product type, the audience at least roughly, why the brand exists and any constraints such as a parent brand or regulatory limits. If the audience is unclear, run `brand-discovery` first. Downstream sit `brand-identity` for the visual system and `brand-style-guide` for documentation — this skill covers neither.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add rampstackco/claude-skills --skill brand-ideation -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/brand-ideation/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/brand-ideation/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add rampstackco/claude-skills --skill brand-ideation -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/brand-ideation/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add rampstackco/claude-skills --skill brand-ideation -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/brand-ideation/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install rampstackco/claude-skills brand-ideation
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/brand-ideation/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add rampstackco/claude-skills --skill brand-ideation -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/rampstackco/claude-skills --path skills/brand-ideation
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/brand-ideation/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add rampstackco/claude-skills --skill brand-ideation -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/rampstackco/claude-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/brand-ideation/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- draft positioning territories before committing to a logo
- generate 30 to 50 name candidates across different approaches
- filter names by domain, social handles and trademark
- describe 2 to 4 visual directions a designer can actually brief from
- converge several half-formed brand ideas into one direction

## Example prompts
- Help me brainstorm names for a new product — here is the category, audience and why it exists: …
- Generate 4 positioning territories and tell me what each one rejects
- I have three rough brand ideas, help me converge on one

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: 04e2a47e73f833ee.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE 04e2a47e73f833ee
```text
---
name: brand-ideation
description: "Generate, evaluate, and narrow brand concepts during early ideation including positioning territories, naming candidates, mood directions, and narrative angles. Use this skill whenever the user is in the early phase of brand creation, exploring brand directions, brainstorming names, building moodboards, generating positioning options, or trying to choose between multiple brand directions. Triggers on brand ideation, brand concept, naming, brand name, name candidates, positioning, brand positioning, mood board, brand directions, exploring brands, early brand work, brand exploration, brand brainstorm, brand options. Also triggers when the user has multiple half-formed brand ideas and needs help converging on one, even if they do not say 'ideation' explicitly."
category: brand
catalog_summary: "Naming, positioning territories, mood directions, narrative angles"
display_order: 1
---

# Brand Ideation

Generate and converge on brand directions before committing to identity work. This is upstream of `brand-identity` (the visual system) and `brand-style-guide` (the documentation). It is the divergent-then-convergent thinking phase where ideas are cheap and direction matters more than polish.

---

## When to use

- Generating naming options for a new brand or product
- Exploring positioning territories before committing
- Building moodboards and visual direction options
- Drafting narrative or origin-story angles
- Helping the user converge from many half-ideas to one direction
- Stress-testing an existing brand idea before investing in identity work

## When NOT to use

- The brand direction is already locked, the user wants logo and identity work (use `brand-identity`)
- Documenting an existing brand system (use `brand-style-guide`)
- Defining voice for an existing brand (use `brand-voice`)
- Initial discovery and audience research (use `brand-discovery`)

---

## Required inputs

- The category or product type
- The audience (at least roughly)
- The reason this brand exists (the problem it solves or the gap it fills)
- Constraints (existing brand assumptions, parent brand, regulatory limits)
- Number of directions desired (typically 3 to 5)

If the audience is unclear, run `brand-discovery` first.

---

## The framework: 4 stages

Brand ideation moves through four stages. Each stage diverges (generate options) then converges (pick a direction).

### Stage 1: Positioning territories
```
END THIRD-PARTY FILE 04e2a47e73f833ee

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