Last time on our AI content series we set out our initial concept for our app, landing on a social media platform based on communal learning and peer-to-peer knowledge sharing. If you haven’t had a read of that one, I highly recommend you check it out here: AI Series | Chapter 1: New Beginnings
This time round, we’re gonna use Chat GPT to help us generate a name for the app.
Rules… again?
Believe it or not, the name of an application has a lot to do with its success. Search-ability, catchiness and succinctness are all very important when it comes to the naming apps. In addition to this, Google and Apple supply guidelines on the requirements for app names and descriptions, let’s delve into them to give ourselves an idea of what to ask from our AI generator.
Supposing our App is cross platform, we need to think about the requirements from both Apple and Google, there are a few commonalities we can highlight straight away.
Apple and Google both allow app display names with a maximum length of 30 characters, but, there’s an important catch. If the text exceeds 11-13 characters, operating systems will often cut it and add ellipses in place of the rest of the text.
Apple has a great convention to help developers get around this in the form of a subtitle. It’s commonly used as an extended, brand oriented version of the display name. Here’s a good example.
App Title: TikTok - Videos, Music & LIVE (29 characters)
Display Name: TikTok (6 characters)
Short Description: Watch, discover and stream! (27 characters)
There are a few more rules to follow, but your app development partner should guide you through them. If you really fancy some bedtime reading that is sure to have you counting sheep faster than the shipping forecast, you can check out Apple’s extensive submission guidelines, as well as the ones for the Google Play Store (slightly more interaction from Google there).
Say my name
With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the name options provided to us by our faithful sage, Chat GPT. As a reminder, we’ll be using the prompt conventions named in the previous blog.
Prompt: I am a new tech start-up, developing a mobile app that allows users to host skill sharing classes, share tips and tricks and develop skills with like-minded people. Our app will be available in all regions, on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Our app is aimed at Millenials and Gen Z owing to their desire for personal growth and skills development. Provide me options for the name of my app that adhere to the App Store and Google Play Store submission guidelines.
Response: Certainly! Here are some options for the name of your skill sharing app that adhere to the submission guidelines of the App Store and Google Play Store:
Skillify: Combining "skill" and "amplify," this name conveys the idea of enhancing and expanding one's skills through the app.
SkillSquad: This name emphasises the collaborative and community aspect of the app, where like-minded individuals come together to share skills and learn from each other.
SkillConnect: Reflecting the app's purpose of connecting users based on shared skills and interests, this name suggests a platform for networking and skill development.
SkillUpNow: Conveying a sense of urgency and motivation, this name implies that users can quickly level up their skills by joining the app and engaging with its resources.
SkillHub: This name portrays the app as a central hub or gathering place for skill sharing, where users can access a diverse range of classes, tips, and tricks.
Remember to ensure that the chosen name is unique, easy to remember, and relevant to your target audience. Additionally, it's crucial to conduct a thorough search in the app stores to ensure that the name is not already in use by another app.
A real mixed bag there. I’m going to use a personal veto on a few of these right off the bat. SkillConnect and SkillSquad adhere to the guidelines, but just aren’t the vibe. As with SkillUpNow, it sounds a bit like the kind of thing that a candidate from The Apprentice would settle on in a rush.
That leaves SkillHub and Skillify… A quick google shows both have established businesses attached to them and so we have hit our first downfall of AI. We need to be 100% about the question we ask. Let’s change the prompt, adding in a direct request that they not be attached to active businesses. Here's what we got:
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SkillSwap
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SkillShareX
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SkillConnecto
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SkillUpLabs
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SkillVerse
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SkillJunction
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SkillHive
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SkillGrowth
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SkillBridge
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SkillMingle
It's not quite what we're looking for, I think we need a new approach. On asking for synonyms for the word skill, Chat GPT presented more options, many of which were really very corporate. However, in a generalised search for synonyms, the word ‘Finesse’ is supplied. Now that sounds a lot more along the lines of a skill sharing app aimed at Gen Z’s and Millennials if I do say so myself.
Chat GPT: Yes, "Finesse" can be a good name for an app aimed at Millennials and Gen Z focused on skills and community learning. The name "Finesse" conveys a sense of expertise, mastery, and refined skill, which aligns well with the concept of the app. It suggests a level of finesse and proficiency that users can achieve by participating in skill sharing classes and learning from the community.
Seems like Chat GPT agrees! We were also able to confirm an often overlooked aspect of naming conventions, how well they will be perceived in other languages. The word is present in 5 languages according to Chat GPT, all with a similar meaning.
I think we’re on to a winner here. Let’s leave the rest of the App Store details here for the moment and move onto writing our business plan, we can return to this in the executive summary (which everyone has recommended we write last). Tune in later on in the week as we approach the next stage of the series, constructing our business plan.