Today, you may spend time with Buzz Lightyear, Rick Astley and The A-Team. It might sound like a pretty intense fever dream, but you will have actually been sitting at your desk, doing some legitimate work on three different Skin and Blister projects.
Skin and Blister stumbled upon this novel project naming strategy by accident, when multiple versions of the same project were causing mass confusion among the team. There was a project that kept coming back from the client, which was nicknamed ‘Arnie’. This was only ever intended for internal use, but when the client heard about it, they loved it so much that it stuck with them too. From then on, Skin and Blister has given each project a memorable name inspired by films, iconic characters or objects and believe it has changed all work for the better, because:
Everyone knows what they are working on
From a practical point of view, a recognisable project title makes it crystal clear to everyone what they are working on. It saves confusion between similar projects, it makes filling out timesheets easier and it is just more fun than a boring job number.
You care more about the project
Project XYT9000 might not make you feel anything, but project Inspector Gadget is bound to peak your interest. Giving projects names humanises them and makes them feel like a friend, which can really motivate everyone to deliver the best possible work.
It helps with confidentiality
If you are on a train, in a cafe or in a co-working space, it can be tricky to have an open conversation about your projects. Saying “How is Buzz Lightyear getting on?” won’t breach any confidentiality agreements (but it might lead to a few dodgy looks), and it makes communication a lot easier.
Clients get on board
A project name that you have thought about and shared with clients shows them that you are passionate about it, and are giving it the focus it deserves. And if you and your clients are equally excited by the work you are doing, you are far more likely to get to a final result that you are both happy with. Nothing takes clients on a journey like a project called The Hoff. He is always ready and won't let them out of his sight.
If you are sitting on a lot of projects at the moment, why not try giving them some interesting project names? You might find it changes the way you approach your work. Or it might just give you an excuse to send people this iconic Rick Astley video from time to time. Trust Skin and Blister on this one – you will never want to give it up.