For the front, I think if you have only a single dim light then it better be blinking, but if you have multiple or bright lights, they can be solid, and in fact the reflections of a bright strobing light forward are irritating for the rider. So on my commute bike I have a central halogen headlight which is about 600 lumen, flanked by two bar-end lights with forward-facing white LEDs. The set of lights is really quite noticeable.

For the rear, I use two red LED lights, both blinking, one is down at the seatstay and the other is up on my backpack. I think the separation of the lights may help convey the size of what the driver is looking at. The bar-end lights have rear-facing red LEDs. I have a third red blinky light on the saddlebag, mostly as a spare/backup.

When things are really dark, rainy, foggy, when traffic is heavy, or when i just feel apprehensive for some spidey sense tingly reason, I turn all those lights on, plus my helmet mounted front spot and rear blinkie, plus some LED blinkies I wrapped around the front and rear hubs . . . that is four solid forward lights and six blinking rearward lights plus revolving lights at each wheel . . .

It looks like the circus has come to town, but drivers most definitely see me, though while crying with laughter they sometimes run down pedestrians or lampposts.