How I Turned a Naming Crisis into Hivesquare — A Brand That Works
Ever tried naming a brand and ended up in a full-blown identity crisis? Yeah. That was me.
Earlier in 2023, I was brought in to name and develop the identity for a new product —
a community-powered marketplace built to support small businesses and local trade.
The kind of digital platform where cottage businesses, side hustlers, and neighbourhood vendors could feel at home.
The brief was strong:
- Build a brand that feels warm, Local and trustworthy.
- Blend community with commerce
- Make it digital, but keep the humanity in it.
Naturally, I did what most creatives do:
I started throwing spaghetti at the wall.
Here’s a peek at the name list we ran through in meetings (no judgment pls):
Hathor. Naba. Ruda. Rudasure. Coinsure.
Kreda. Creda. Trada. Tradary. Tradance.
Payex. Encom. Sotex. Develi…
Yes…. I know…😬😬😬
It was giving fintech. It was giving app-store overload.
But it wasn’t giving heart.
So I paused. Took a step back. Went to the root of the idea.
Then I saw it.
Hive
A symbol of togetherness, motion, productivity, community.
Square
The old-school meeting point. The town market.
A physical space to trade, talk, and trust.
Hive square brand colours
Full color Palatte
Colour usage
