Brand story to
naming strategy
Finnish IT security company F-Secure has a considerable share in both B2C and B2C markets in Finland. They wanted some help in creating a consistent, flexible and scalable naming strategy for their B2B portfolio to support its evolution and growth over time.
Supported by a core team from F-Secure’s UX team, I took the lead in the project planning and execution. The process included a deep dive research phase, a series of co-creation sessions, a round of validation activities, and documenting the resulting name concept candidates and repeatable process descriptions.
Finnish IT security company F-Secure has a considerable share in both B2C and B2C markets in Finland. They wanted some help in creating a consistent, flexible and scalable naming strategy for their B2B portfolio to support its evolution and growth over time.
Supported by a core team from F-Secure’s UX team, I took the lead in the project planning and execution. The process included a deep dive research phase, a series of co-creation sessions, a round of validation activities, and documenting the resulting name concept candidates and repeatable process descriptions.
Mapping the terrain
Mapping the terrain
I started with a diligent deep dive into a number of areas. This included benchmarking and analysing IT security company naming conventions as well as wider naming frameworks and strategies from different industries, decoding F-Secure’s existing B2B naming landscape, and analysing feedback from customers and partners. I followed up my desktop study by interviewing internal stakeholders and selected partners to dig deeper into the themes and topics and find out their views, ideas and concerns.
I synthesised my findings into a comprehensive but clearly and visually presented insights document, which gave us a great foundation for what we wanted to achieve. It became clear we needed to build a clear shared understanding of the portfolio’s elements and structure, a compelling story we wanted to tell, and a repeatable process and toolkit for consistent results.
Next, I designed a series of co-creation workshops based on these findings, crafted to build upon each other.
I started with a diligent deep dive into a number of areas. This included benchmarking and analysing IT security company naming conventions as well as wider naming frameworks and strategies from different industries, decoding F-Secure’s existing B2B naming landscape, and analysing feedback from customers and partners. I followed up my desktop study by interviewing internal stakeholders and selected partners to dig deeper into the themes and topics and find out their views, ideas and concerns.
I synthesised my findings into a comprehensive but clearly and visually presented insights document, which gave us a great foundation for what we wanted to achieve. It became clear we needed to build a clear shared understanding of the portfolio’s elements and structure, a compelling story we wanted to tell, and a repeatable process and toolkit for consistent results.
Next, I designed a series of co-creation workshops based on these findings, crafted to build upon each other.
Charting the route
Charting the route
In the first workshop, we created visibility into the portfolio’s landscape and elements. This session was more detail-heavy and technical than the others, but it was necessary to lay a strong foundation for what we were working with and towards.
In the second workshop, we expanded into more creative thinking and envisioned the brand through a narrative. We crystallised the story that F-Secure wants to tell with its products, and defined our basic storytelling principles. This helped us start forming a framework where creative exploration can flow within a shared set of gently guiding boundaries.
In the last workshop, we co-created and wrote full stories for each user group to identify gaps, problems, and common themes, and used them to ideate a series of naming concepts for a portfolio of modular, layered elements. We prioritised and refined these concepts into a pool of candidates.
In the first workshop, we created visibility into the portfolio’s landscape and elements. This session was more detail-heavy and technical than the others, but it was necessary to lay a strong foundation for what we were working with and towards.
In the second workshop, we expanded into more creative thinking and envisioned the brand through a narrative. We crystallised the story that F-Secure wants to tell with its products, and defined our basic storytelling principles. This helped us start forming a framework where creative exploration can flow within a shared set of gently guiding boundaries.
In the last workshop, we co-created and wrote full stories for each user group to identify gaps, problems, and common themes, and used them to ideate a series of naming concepts for a portfolio of modular, layered elements. We prioritised and refined these concepts into a pool of candidates.
Gearing up for the journey
Gearing up for the journey
I further worked the naming concept candidates from our co-creation workshops into a format we could communicate and validate. In the first stage, we collected feedback from internal stakeholders and partners, who are usually the bridge that connects F-Secure’s B2B products and their end users.
Alongside validation and iteration, I created a clear framework, repeatable process steps, and a “formula” tool for naming products and elements consistently. These were designed to be easily shared and understood even without direct involvement in this project, and to be scalable as the product portfolio and clients’ needs evolve over time.
I further worked the naming concept candidates from our co-creation workshops into a format we could communicate and validate. In the first stage, we collected feedback from internal stakeholders and partners, who are usually the bridge that connects F-Secure’s B2B products and their end users.
Alongside validation and iteration, I created a clear framework, repeatable process steps, and a “formula” tool for naming products and elements consistently. These were designed to be easily shared and understood even without direct involvement in this project, and to be scalable as the product portfolio and clients’ needs evolve over time.
IMPACT
Clarity of purpose & new perspectives
As my involvement in the project came to an end as planned with the agreed timeline and deliverables, the core team I worked with took over further testing and iteration of the created tools and methods and further name concepts. I was invited back later to analyse the second round of testing and feedback and create a report of the key results.
In 2022, F-Secure’s business offering rebranded as WithSecure. Their modular portfolio dons one of our shortlisted naming concepts – the one with the strongest support in our initial validation processes.
The full project was done remotely, and my workshop methods and presentations were received well by the project’s participants, many of whom had limited experience of how versatile design thinking approaches and co-creation methods can be in working on a variety of topics. So as a meta-outcome of the project, the core team and wider stakeholders were introduced to new ways of approaching collaborative design processes along with a starter kit of tools and example cases and deliverables – and the seed of inspiration and mindset shift towards exploring.
IMPACT
Clarity of purpose & new perspectives
As my involvement in the project came to an end as planned with the agreed timeline and deliverables, the core team I worked with took over further testing and iteration of the created tools and methods and further name concepts. I was invited back later to analyse the second round of testing and feedback and create a report of the key results.
In 2022, F-Secure’s business offering rebranded as WithSecure. Their modular portfolio dons one of our shortlisted naming concepts – the one with the strongest support in our initial validation processes.
The full project was done remotely, and my workshop methods and presentations were received well by the project’s participants, many of whom had limited experience of how versatile design thinking approaches and co-creation methods can be in working on a variety of topics. So as a meta-outcome of the project, the core team and wider stakeholders were introduced to new ways of approaching collaborative design processes along with a starter kit of tools and example cases and deliverables – and the seed of inspiration and mindset shift towards exploring.