Hey everyone!

Looking for some second opinions, or maybe even brainstorming.

I've long been stuck on my new branding. It's an odd but well known fact that some designers maybe able to design for clients but have issues designing for themselves, and I am suffering from an acute case of that.

I am mainly here about the color scheme I'm going to use and stick with. :)

So far I've narrowed it down to four options (note that while the logo is pretty close to final, the "web layout" is just there for color purposes and is likely to change drastically, text included. The three images are actual images from my portfolio, in an effort to see how my work would look.)

Colors 1

Colors 2

Colors 3

Colors 4

Anyway, as you can see, I'm leaning towards more classic, muted, and occasionally vintage type colors. (My current website is close to a neon circus, which no longer (or maybe really ever) reflected the work I do for clients.)

I'm liking a cream tone background because I'd be able to work that into print pieces very nicely just by using a cream/gold paper.

If anyone has any feedback on what they'd do differently, their favorite, or even any palette suggestions you find while browsing around, I'd be thankful for the thoughts. :)

I vote for #1 or #4, nice choices

Thanks manekineko. Duely noted. :)

I think number 1 and number 2 are my current favorites. :)

I like #4 the best. Great font choices. One thought would be to add a splash of color to the ribbon on the hat.

I like the drama of #3. If I had to choose from these I would go with #1.

thanks, liddle_r! I often like light on dark as well, and I think you're right about the drama. But I worry about using it for my portfolio as a web designer, because some people have such a strong objection to it.

Seems like one is the favorite so far. :)

Edit:
Somehow I missed your post... Thanks Serostar! Glad you like the fonts, I'm a huge fan of vintage stuff (and actually own and wear the hat.)

Jolaedana wrote:

thanks, liddle_r! I often like light on dark as well, and I think you're right about the drama. But I worry about using it for my portfolio as a web designer, because some people have such a strong objection to it.

Seems like one is the favorite so far. :)

Oh man put all 4 on your portfolio and advertise that you give your clients some options about their design, they are all good enough for that I'll wager

hmm- I've seen color change buttons or "multiple theme" type setups on sites before. You think it'd have merit? I think it can be pretty tough to design a site that works across all color schemes.

1st off... let me say, i know exactly what you mean... regarding designers can seem to have problems when making their own sites.... that's funny... i think my problems are a mix of too many ideas & perfectionism. ugh =(

but I see you liked the creams, beige & browns... yet, i see you threw in some reds, purples & yellows...

so i thought about sepia colors (no black & no white, just almost) w/just a touch of something not quite purple (even though purples are my favorites) & not quite red...

First off, thanks for taking the time to make a palette! I really like it, though I think it might have contrast issues if I didn't lighten up the middle color a bit. I really like that it's a bit more feminine without being a kick in the face about it.

What do you think? :)

KaleidoscopeStudio's Take

number 3, my current mood says dark is better

lol. looks like I'm destined to be torn! maybe you have the right idea, manekineko ...

Out of those I like 4 the best.. The one you did with Kaleidoscope's colors is pretty awesome too.

well I'm going to make things tougher and vote for number 2. But I also like 1 and 3.

lol. okay. so so far....

1 has.... 4 votes, counting "likes"
2 has... 2 votes.
3 has... 2 votes.
4 has... 3 votes.
And Kalidoscope's has at least 2.

Hmmm. So far it seems one has the most universal appeal. :)

I'm liking that one too. I have feelers out in a couple of other places. I'll let you guys know which way I end up going.

Thanks for everyone who's given thoughts so far! :)

I vote for number one. I love it. The lighter background helps high light the work examples.

I like 2 or 4.

I think the "violet" or "purple" rather regal. Purples are colors of faith, honesty, etc.... At least in Western cultures.

Thanks to everyone! :)

Alrighty. Well, I've asked over on my personal forums as well (since they're tied into my site and share the color scheme, I feel it was pretty important to ask them! :) )

The final tally (including my personal forums)...

1 has.... 5 votes, counting "likes"
2 has... 4 votes.
3 has... 4 votes.
4 has... 5 votes.
And Kalidoscope's has 2.

Honestly, I'm liking four less and less personally the more I look at it. I feel the background is too chromatic, and takes away from my work.

The other on top, number 1, I like. However I'm worried it feels kind of masculine, which isn't me either.

My favorite, after consideration, is really two, I think- and sometimes you have to go with your gut. :)

I'll perhaps play with those two now that you guys have helped me narrow it down and see how I feel with the final layouts. Thanks again for brainstorming with me. :)

Another vote for #3 here. The dark colors, the hat, and the word Friday bring back nostalgic memories of Dragnet, which I think a lot of people might relate to. I also love your take on Kaleidoscope's palette -- great blend of the Dark Side plus a touch of humor in the ribbon on the hat.

i really like the #3 scheme, it looks sharp and has more character than the others.

I liked the look of #3 and it was my fave because I had some practical concerns.

I am always concerned about the practicality of dark background sites. Don't get me wrong, I grew up being taught anything nice should be surrounded by a dark gray matte. But, web designers tend to forget you have to fatty up the type (a print industry trick along with fuzzying it out on the blue plate and then filling in on the black plate) when you reverse it and it does take more energy to read. Using serif faces (we recognizes type characters as much by the space around them as by the forms them selves and the serifs give a spacial reference that sans serifs cannot) helps.

I guess I have also been terrified at watching $800 worth of printer cartridge ink spitting out a web page I needed to share hand to hand because their was no print friendly option.

My reasons for not picking number three is exactly everything JPC just said. My clients are often not tech savvy, and in some cases older, and stats show that those sorts of people hate reversed text on the internet. I don't want to have to reverse the logo to do matching printing stuff or letterhead (which I can't do on a dark background.) Unfortunately, I'd like to keep it consistent across all my materials.

Also, I have minor worries about coming across as "dark and mysterious" when I'd rather accomplish "clean and professional".

I am, after playing with the designs, thinking back in the direction of number one, however. Not sure why, but it seems to capture the feel a bit better for me than two, which I had been thinking on.

Thanks to everyone who's provided thoughts- hopefully my reasoning makes some sense.

I liked the dark one too, or I wouldn't have included it. ;)

Yeah in fact just about everybody besides designers hate the light text on dark background as far as I can tell.

Good choice Jolae, post the URL when it's built out :)

Definitely will, thanks Manekineko. :)