Brand naming is a battlefield. A dark art — sorcery with words. Crafting an idiom that sticks in people's minds and cements your brand's place in the market hierarchy is arguably the most challenging task for any business.

Creating a unique and defensible brand name isn’t the only thing that determines success, but just forget for a moment anything you already know about branding and consider that your name is one of maybe two things that people can immediately call to mind when thinking about who you are.

Kendall's venture into the tequila market ignited accusations of cultural misappropriation, but is all this outrage justified? Using 818 Tequila as our example, we'll attempt a discussion surrounding the complexity of where cultural appropriation, commerce and branding meet — discovering that 818’s brand positioning is actually perfect, considering Kendall’s audience and followers.

Artificial Intelligence spells danger for ideas, not designers. Like any other tool, A.I. is a shortcut to productivity. But what does this productivity assume about creative professions — and ultimately about what humanity needs from designers in the future?

Hear me now, believe me later: focus on finding a creative partner that represents your business goals and fits with your values or risk being stuck in a frustrating and unproductive collaboration that holds your business back.

I remember approximately four things about 1996: Playstation, Friends, mum’s brand new Sacramento State Green Mazda 323 and girls. Wait, there were five things…

I’ll nail the business/creative dynamic one of these days, but until then I’ve attempted to unpack 5 useful things I've learned as a small business owner and creative.