Context
After securing seed funding, we needed to establish Pied Piper's visual brand identity. Erlich connected us with Chuy Ramirez, a local street artist known for his bold, urban aesthetic.
Chuy proposed a graffiti-style logo featuring:
- A stylized rat playing a flute (playing on the Pied Piper legend)
- Spray paint texture and drip effects
- Neon colors (hot pink, electric blue)
- "PIED PIPER" in bubble letters
Decision
REJECTED: The team unanimously decided against the street art logo proposal.
DACI
| Role | Person |
|---|---|
| Driver | @jared |
| Approver | @richard |
| Consulted | @dinesh, @gilfoyle |
| Informed | @erlich |
Rationale
Positive Aspects
- +Unique and memorable
- +Strong visual impact
- +Captures startup energy
Negative Aspects
- −Too informal for enterprise B2B clients
- −Difficult to reproduce on business cards/letterhead
- −The rat imagery has negative connotations
- −Could be seen as unprofessional by investors
- −Erlich's insistence that "the rat represents our hunger" was unconvincing
Neutral Considerations
- ●Could work for a consumer-facing brand
- ●The artist was talented but wrong fit for our market
Outcome
We proceeded with a more professional design: the clean, modern geometric logo that better reflects our technology-focused positioning.
The street art concept was archived, though Erlich kept pushing for it during board meetings for several months afterward.
Lessons Learned
- Brand identity should align with target market expectations
- Get multiple design proposals before committing
- Erlich's taste in visual design should be taken with skepticism