diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 091f723..93ba99d 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 .gradle
 .idea
 build
+out
 *.iml
 *.ipr
 *.iws
diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 7472e07..14239a9 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -54,12 +54,22 @@ dependencies {
 /*==== You probably don't have to edit below this line =======*/
 
 protobuf {
-  // Configure the protoc executable
-  protoc {
+    // Configure the protoc executable
+    protoc {
     // Download from repositories
-    //artifact = 'com.google.protobuf:protoc:3.0.0-alpha-3'
-    artifact = 'com.google.protobuf:protoc:3.+'
-  }
+        artifact = 'com.google.protobuf:protoc:3.+'
+    }
+}
+
+idea {
+    module {
+        // add protobuf generated sources to generated source dir.
+        sourceDirs += file(protobuf.generatedFilesBaseDir)
+        generatedSourceDirs += file(protobuf.generatedFilesBaseDir)
+
+	// Don't exclude build directory 
+	excludeDirs -= file(buildDir)
+    }
 }
 
 // Used to generate initial maven-dir layout
diff --git a/src/main/java/Demo.java b/src/main/java/Demo.java
index 1a84326..879501f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/Demo.java
+++ b/src/main/java/Demo.java
@@ -1,8 +1,33 @@
+import com.google.protobuf.ByteString;
+import meerkat.bulletinboard.BulletinBoard;
+import meerkat.comm.BulletinBoardMessageProtos;
+
+import java.io.IOException;
+
+import static meerkat.comm.BulletinBoardMessageProtos.*;
+
 /**
  * Created by talm on 10/26/15.
  */
 public class Demo {
-    static void main(String args[]) {
+    public static void main(String args[]) {
         System.out.println("Nothing to see yet");
+
+        BulletinBoardMessage msg;
+
+        BulletinBoardMessage.Unsigned msgContents = BulletinBoardMessage.Unsigned.newBuilder()
+                .addTags("test")
+                .setData(ByteString.copyFromUtf8("some data"))
+                .build();
+
+        msg = BulletinBoardMessage.newBuilder()
+                .setMsg(msgContents)
+                .build();
+
+        try {
+            msg.writeTo(System.err);
+        } catch (IOException e) {
+            // Ignore
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/proto/meerkat/comm/BulletinBoardMessage.proto b/src/main/proto/meerkat/comm/BulletinBoardMessage.proto
deleted file mode 100644
index 0c6f4b1..0000000
--- a/src/main/proto/meerkat/comm/BulletinBoardMessage.proto
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,6 +0,0 @@
-package meerkat.comm;
-
-message BulleinBoardMessage {
-    repeated int32 tags = 1;
-}
-
diff --git a/src/main/proto/meerkat/comm/bulletin_board_message.proto b/src/main/proto/meerkat/comm/bulletin_board_message.proto
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..35163c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/proto/meerkat/comm/bulletin_board_message.proto
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+syntax = "proto3";
+
+package meerkat.comm;
+
+import 'meerkat/crypto/signature.proto';
+
+option java_outer_classname = "BulletinBoardMessageProtos";
+
+message BulletinBoardMessage {
+    message  Unsigned {
+        // Optional tags describing message
+        repeated string tags = 1;
+
+        // The actual content of the message
+        bytes data = 2;
+    }
+
+    Unsigned msg = 1;
+
+    // Signature of message (and tags)
+    meerkat.crypto.Signature sig = 2;
+}
+
diff --git a/src/main/proto/meerkat/crypto/signature.proto b/src/main/proto/meerkat/crypto/signature.proto
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..61df002
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/proto/meerkat/crypto/signature.proto
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+syntax = "proto3";
+
+package meerkat.crypto;
+
+option java_outer_classname = "SignatureProtos";
+
+message Signature {
+    enum Type {
+        ECDSA = 0;
+        DSA = 1;
+    }
+    Type type = 1;
+    
+    bytes data = 2;
+}