Logos - What colours are most appealing?

StarmediaMoe

There are numerous posts and articles about what makes a good logo design, but what about colours?There are many variables in the colour scheme of a logo, including the industry you are in and possibly your geography; but what colours are most appealing to you?You can list it by industry (Restaurants - Red, White, etc.) or keep it general.What colours are most appealing or striking in a logo?

LogoMotives

So much of the color used to effectively convey a business message, or attract a specific audience, depends on the type of business, organization or product being promoted.  There is no one simple answer.I do know it`s estimated that about 60% of all logos incorporate blue as a color.  For me that`s reason enough to steer clients away from using blues.Probably one of the best books I`ve ever come across on the topic is David. E. Carter`s Blue is Hot, Red is Cool:  Choosing the Right Color for Your Logo.  He goes into the traditional, historic, literal, psychological and emotional meanings and projections of many colors - all with logo examples to illustrate his definitions.  - J.
LogoMotives2007-5-17 2:5:36

LogoMotives

Steve -Having been through the process twice now myself I know that, unfortunately, the writer of a book seldom has any control over the design, or color selection, of a book`s cover.  In the case of my first book (and those of many authors) I didn`t even have any say in the name of the book...- J.

StarmediaMoe

Nikole & Steve - I appreciate your responses however I think you may have misunderstood the question. What I`m asking is not what colours are "best", but rather what colours are most appealing to you.Are there any colours that you find particularly striking?Are there any colour combinations you find to be unique and uncommonly (or commonly) used?Again, the question is not about what`s "the best colour to use in a logo", but rather what colours (and colour combinations) are naturally appealing to you.

Jeannie

The colors that are appealing to me are orange, yellow and white.(like the Rachael Ray logo of her show). It`s vibrant and fun!
 

StarmediaMoe

I agree Jeannie. I`ve always found orange to be a striking colour. It`s bold and offers great contrast to a white background.

LogoMotives

I`ve often thought that black lettering on a black background is kind of catchy? Am I wrong?



One of the most successful business cards I ever designed - in terms of success for the client (a photographer), awards won and publication in design annuals - was made up of text produced in black shiny foil embossed on a textured black paper stock.  So, yes, black lettering on a black background can be kind of catchy.- J.

patentandtrademark

consider whether the color is going to be a feature of your trademark registration

StarmediaMoe

Again, this is not about a particular "best colour". Maybe my wording was vague, but I`ll try explaining again.I am not asking for a perfect colour or to make a logo for myself. I work for an advertising agency, so we design logos and websites ourselves.The purpose of my initial post was simply to strike up a dialogue to see what colours appeal to the members of this forum.You personally.Do you prefer seeing red?How about blue on light grey?Yellow on red perhaps?The purpose of this is not asking about "what colour should I use in the logo for my new clothing store". The point is... what colours do YOU like seeing?For example, I like seeing colours like red, orange, grey and blue in logo designs. I don`t usually like seeing yellow or green/blue combinations being used.

ethnicomm

I like light grey, green, orange and blue. I also like green/blue and orange/green colour combinations. Coincidentally, these seem to be the defacto standard colours for all Web2.0 type of websites that have cropped up.I think the reason you seem to be having a tough time getting clear responses is that your question is not direct.How about "I am doing some research on the colour preferences of the StartupNation community. I would specifically like to know what colour or colour-combinations you find most appealing in logos and what colours you dislike. You can include examples of logos as well. I will summarize your responses and share them with the community"

StarmediaMoe

I probably should have worded it more like that. Thanks ethnicomm!

StarmediaMoe

Those are great logos Nikole. I love that shade of red in yours!

StarmediaMoe

Let me ask you, what knowledge are you trying to gain from this?
General dialogue Steve. Many people do have colours they love and hate. When new clients contact us for their logo design, they often have no idea what they are looking for but they provide a list of things they like and don`t like, including samples.For example: `I love red, orange and blue, but don`t like grey, brown and pink. Circles are good. Squares are bad".Small lists like this are very common to receive from clients seeking new logos, in hopes that we, as the design firm, can create something that they want, but can`t yet visualize.It`s a common issue in design, so I posed the question here just to strike up dialogue amongst the community I  just joined.

LogoMotives

In creating my own logo designs I really don`t have any strong color preference. I do tend to like the simplicity and strength of a black and white logo - and in 10 years I`ve never used color on my own business identity.  I probably use various shades of purple and green, more than other options, for logo projects for clients.When clients contact me they tend to have a much stronger sense of what they don`t like in regards to colors, than what they would like to see in their  identity. - J.
LogoMotives2007-5-17 17:26:6

StarmediaMoe

Wow. Great work Jeff!I agree, many of our clients send more information on what they dislike as opposed to what they like; which reiterates my point that they have preferences.
StarmediaMoe2007-5-17 16:20:20

LogoMotives

Good morning all -Thanks for your comments.  Nice design work there nghnikole and StarmediaMoe.- J