Robot Numbering, Attractive Solutions?

Siri makes a strong point that more aesthetically pleasing and more importantly more distinct designs are the more memorable ones. Anyone who comes to the Silicon Valley Regional for the first time will be able to automatically recognize that the robot with the orange animal theme is the Wildhats, that the elegant blue machine is the Cheesy Poofs, and the beautiful architecture of sheet metal is Spartan Robotics. The reason this is so effective is because these teams know how to properly brand and design robots that stand out compared to the rest. It's not even arguable that this is the most ideal method to differentiate robots. It's that effective, always has been, and likely always will be.

The problem with that is it is an ideal, because not every team makes robots that clearly make it known to a viewer whose they are, which is why the mandated numbering system is being used by FIRST this year. However due to all of the very clear reasons others have posted in this thread about, it is definitely not the best solution. Now I'm not saying it's a bad one - it has potential to get the job done, but it's not the ideal solution.

So to both provide an alternative, and to answer Gregor's question, I believe that if we want to achieve that ideal solution of perfectly distinguishable and clearly recognizable robots, the best method is to educate teams on how to do so. The majority of teams don't make these kind of robots not because they don't want to, but because they don't know how to. If taught how, I can very easily see teams making robots that will be easily identifiable to any "reasonably astute observer". Even when bumpers do make a return, I believe that educating teams on how to effectively brand and make their robots stand out will be beneficial. When 148 unveils this season, I will see their robot once, and each time after that know that that robot is the Robowrangler machine. In the future, I want to be able to look at rookie team 7777's robot and be able to recognize it from then on in the same way I always recognize the Robowrangler robots.

tl;dr: Instead of insisting on a standard that raises the floor but also lowers the ceiling, educate the floor on how to become the ceiling.