diff --git a/packages/new-design/lib/utils.mjs b/packages/new-design/lib/utils.mjs
index 3b95d85840e..62d1afff416 100644
--- a/packages/new-design/lib/utils.mjs
+++ b/packages/new-design/lib/utils.mjs
@@ -49,8 +49,9 @@ export const checkNodeVersion = () => {
 
 // Helper method to validate the design name
 const validateDesignName = (name) => {
-  if (/^([a-z]+)$/.test(name)) return true
-  else return ' 🙈 Please use only [a-z], no spaces, no capitals, no nothing 🤷'
+  if (/^([a-z0-9][a-z0-9_\-]*)$/.test(name)) return true
+  else
+    return ' 🙈 Please use only lowercase letters, digits, underscores, and hyphens. Names must start with a lowercase letter or digit. 🤷'
 }
 
 // Gets user input to figure out what to do
@@ -106,7 +107,7 @@ export const getChoices = async () => {
             await prompts({
               type: 'text',
               name: 'name',
-              message: 'What name would you like the design to have? 🏷️ ([a-z] only)',
+              message: 'What name would you like the design to have? 🏷️ ([a-z0-9_-] only)',
               validate: validateDesignName,
             })
           ).name
diff --git a/scripts/add-software.mjs b/scripts/add-software.mjs
index 15d26b70b99..e56cc29600d 100644
--- a/scripts/add-software.mjs
+++ b/scripts/add-software.mjs
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ async function addDesign() {
   const { name } = await prompts({
     type: 'text',
     name: 'name',
-    message: 'What name would you like the design to have? ([a-z] only)',
+    message: 'What name would you like the design to have? ([a-z0-9_-] only)',
     validate: validateDesignName,
   })
 
@@ -223,8 +223,9 @@ function validateDesignName(name) {
   )
     return `Sorry but ${name} is already taken so you'll need to pick something else`
 
-  if (/^([a-z]+)$/.test(name)) return true
-  else return ' 🙈 Please use only [a-z], no spaces, no capitals, no nothing 🤷'
+  if (/^([a-z0-9][a-z0-9_\-]*)$/.test(name)) return true
+  else
+    return ' 🙈 Please use only lowercase letters, digits, underscores, and hyphens. Names must start with a lowercase letter or digit. 🤷'
 }
 
 function validatePluginName(name) {