Names have far-reaching implications. 

They set the tone, imply expectations, provide context and enhance usability. Some names are so iconic that they transcend their own product, informally covering entire product categories, like Kleenex and ChapStick. 

When it came time to name our AI assistant, we knew we needed to make a thoughtful, strategic decision.

The process

For a technology that’s advancing as rapidly as artificial intelligence, it's easy to fall into the trap of a complicated, jargon-laced name. We wanted to avoid that, so we approached the naming process the same way we design and develop our products: by prioritizing usability and simplicity. This ensures that clients will find our assistant approachable and easy to use. 

Good product names are simple and on-brand. They’re intuitive and easy to understand. For our assistant, we also wanted something that was unique, but not esoteric. Simple, but not vague. Straightforward, but not forgettable. 

Learning and discovery

As the content designer on our team, I led the naming process. Before anything else, I needed to know:

  • Who will use it?

  • What will it do, now and in the future?

  • Where will it intersect with other products and features?

  • How will it provide value?

  • How will clients interact with it across the platform?

By answering these questions, I had a starting point:

Our assistant will provide product help, surface personalized insights, detect anomalies and guide clients through solutions. It will empower finance professionals to make smarter decisions and complete their work faster. They won’t need to be power users. They’ll just need to know what to ask or request.

Conceptual design

Next, I needed to get a sense of product names in the greater AI landscape. I leaned on the competitive research our team collected early on and identified themes. Most of the names were personified, straightforward or technical. 

Brainstorming

From there, I started brainstorming names. Ideas ranged from mild to wild. Some were simple, low-risk and conveyed a sophisticated system, like Addepar AI and Addepar Intelligence. Others were personified, unique and Addepar-coded, like Addison and Illustra. 

I considered the pros and cons of each idea and whether they were easy to use, accessible and on-brand. I also documented names I excluded because they were too technical or outdated, like names ending with “-bot” or “-GPT.” 

Feedback and review

I reviewed the ideas in a content design critique and with the AI team. Through discussion and feedback, we determined that the more general names weren't specific enough to our primary use case: an assistant. With this in mind, we decided that Addepar AI is the product category– not the assistant itself. 

A more specific and straightforward name like Addepar Assistant felt long and potentially limiting. And the Latin names? They were too mysterious and opaque. 

Our decision

Addison, however, more clearly riffs on Addepar. And since it leverages a human name, it implies assistance and conversational functionality. We rallied around the name for the following reasons:

  • It nods to Addepar's history. It combines the name Addepar with Madison, which references our demo environment (Madison Capital) and the address of our New York City office (335 Madison Avenue).

  • A personified name makes conversational interactions more intuitive. And because it’s gender-neutral, we avoid harmful stereotypes.

  • If we introduce voice capabilities, the name’s hard consonant sounds will be easy for microphones to pick up and recognize

  • And finally, it’s specific to its primary use case – as an assistant that leverages natural language

We also recognize that the name has a few low-risk drawbacks:

  • It requires definition

  • We have to clarify that Addison is AI, not a human

  • The name Addison is most common in English-speaking cultures, and may not be recognized as easily in other regions

With our team aligned, I created a naming proposal and shared it with company leadership for final approval. The proposal included a product definition, rationale and style checks. For example, what will the name sound like in launch materials? Help articles? On a call with our support team? 

What’s next

While we don’t expect Addison to take on Kleenex-level status, we do hope the name will inspire trust and confidence. Addison is a partner, a collaborator – empowering our clients to lean into AI.