Using Colours in Graphics Design - Part 1

Today we are currently studying the use of colour in the context of graphics design and have to look at various businesses and how they implemented the use of certain colours, here are some of the businesses:

The Lawson Motor Inn (http://www.thelawson.com.au)

Whilst Red is a generally loud colour, in some cases darker shades of Red can be seen as somewhat of a relaxing colour for some individuals/businesses. I felt that the dark red can work in some way because it  gives the perception anyone staying for the night, the sense of comfort and relaxation. But at the same time, this colour may not work for other places.

Although my personal preference for a relaxing and comfortable feeling would be a darker blue, something like the one below. The red I feel does to some extent work well with The Lawson Motor Inn

Hungry Jacks (http://www.hungryjacks.com.au)

While taking my little complaint on the logo design out of the equation (e.g. the logo should be made to be in line with Burger King). The colour used in the Hungry Jacks logo is appropriate in a business sense (that being take-away) and therefore should not be changed, as the use of the yellow and red combined sees the logo being loud and wanting to stand out (that being standing out throughout highways, shopping centres, airports, etc.), effectively wanting people to stop over.

Crown Custom Computers (http://www.crowncomputers.com.au/)

Whilst blue is described as a safe 'generic' colour for businesses. The blue used in their current logo I would describe somewhat a bit too bold. I would still stick with the whole blue theme, but change to something of more than a lighter blue, something like this:

I will be honest that it (the logo) should be completely overhauled, but this is about the use of colour, not redesigning logos and therefore would be out of scope for this topic.

Beyond Blue (http://www.beyondblue.org.au)

I personally feel that they shouldn't need to change their logo for the entire organisation. Given the fact that Beyond Blue is all about helping individuals dealing with depression, for example the use of Red represents Warmth and Coziness whilst the use of Yellow associates with happiness and about being energetic, easy going, etc.


Mission Australia (http://www.missionaustralia.com.au)

Although it is rather hard to explain this, the Mission Australia Logo is not that much to complain of, in fact, after looking at the services and how they strive to help out the disadvantaged. The use of the Bright Red is strong and somewhat makes sense with the heart logo (which should be represented in the colour red)




Forum 6 Cinemas (http://www.forum6.com.au)

(Forum Cinemas Wagga Wagga Logo)

(Forum Cinemas Tamworth Logo)

For starters, there is a hell of a lot of difference between the style of logo and the colour used in these logos. In the case of the Forum 6 Cinemas Wagga Wagga logo, the colours used in the logo simply will not work on multiple forms of media (May not work on a website but would look completely out of place on print media given the use of colour for the background). In addition whilst that the burgundy red would look best suited to a accounting agency or law firm, for a cinema, whilst they will try to look 'prestigious', that colour used in the logo (in regards to the Forum 6 Wagga Logo) compared to the look and feel within the interior of the cinema complex is anything BUT prestigious.

Now on to what the colour for the cinema logo should look like, a combination of a grey and red-orange for the text colours on a white background is what I believe should be used across the board (a unified colour and logo design combo applied to all cinemas), it should be something like this:

Anyway, in regards to the last logo, I've done enough ranting how out of place the colours used in a cinema