Moodboards are one of those things that no matter what project you’re going to complete they just always seem to creep back upon you. In a nutshell, a mood board is a collection of images that visually reflect your ideas and aims for your work.

 

They a pretty handy way to organise your mind before even starting on your designs and an even better way to communicate with your client clearly with your vision. Because let’s face it, sometimes words just aren’t good enough and if one picture is worth a thousand words, 10 will write you a book.

The best mood boards are ones created with a clear considered approach and take just a little bit of time to perfect. Otherwise, they can kind of look like a hot mess with no real direction, and that’s not how you or your client want to feel towards your designs. Overall you’re using a mood board to convey or even pitch an idea, so it needs to be strong, concise and clear!

 

Top things to include in your mood board:

 

Consistent Colour – Having a consistent colour scheme is a really important step to maintaining your visual appeal and look, it’s also a really important way to communicate emotions and instinctual feelings from the first glance.

  • Hot tip: Try to limit your colour pallet to no more than 6 colours, with 3 core and 3 underlinings. Any more and your board may become overwhelming and lose its sense of style.

 

Tactile/Textures – Using images that have a ‘touchy-feely’ vibe is another great way to communicate emotions. ie. You’re trying to convey a sense of a sleek modern feel, the use of an image of concrete or stone texture can help you create that “cool” smooth feeling.

 

Fonts & Text – A way to accurately represent your ideas, by using fonts you feel suite your style, try also using words that also correlate with this and setting your overall tone clearly. These can be quotes or just singular words. ie. If your board is to reflect a feminine fashion-forward approach, adding a quote like “Paris is always a good idea” can really enhance your direction style. It’s also important to choose fonts that will work effectively and cohesively with the brand. Both logo and feature texts or just body copy and smaller areas.

  • Hot tip: Legibility and readability are most important when considering your font selection.

 

Style/Composition – What your mood board itself is going to look like is an important visual prompt to your overall idea and clear way to set an initial tone. Is it a collage style or a structured grid? Do your images overlap or do they have borders? These are things to consider when beginning your layout. It’s also a way to organise your images so that your idea is clear and always present.

 

Art styles & Illustrations – What style are you planning, is it hand-generated illustrations or vector images? This can change the whole visual appearance of your designs. It’s also a way to communicate with your client a skill you may hold.

 

Photography – Select images that are on par with the ideas you’re already conveying. Lifestyle shoots are great space fillers – when they match your theme – and also ways to show where you see the project sitting in the world

 

Top things to consider when making a mood board:

Clarity – Make sure your mood board clearly shows the direction and idea you’re trying to convey, because if your client/intended audiences can’t see where you’re headed then you’ve lost your point already.

 

Consistency – Stay focused on your overall idea, with each element ask yourself if it reflects where you see your idea or brand, you want your board to be cohesive.

 

Personality and Tone – You want to make people feel things when they view your project/brand. Having elements of a personal feel and personality makes it more relatable and reflect the people you’re designing for!

 

Values – Understand your projects/brands values and try to remain true to these, these are the heart of your designs!

 

Intent – What is your goal and overall idea behind your project, this should always be at the forefront of any project.

 

Refinement – When you start your moodbaord it’s pretty to get carried away and start going a tad crazy on images. Every now and again always remember to centre yourself back to your aim and refine your vision, less is more! Especially when it comes to communicating, you don’t want to overwhelm or lose interest.

  • Hot tip: The best way to cure this is before you even start making your final mood board! Use Pinterest and pin everything you like and feel works. Once you’ve done this, start making direct choices, ask yourself “does this represent my idea clearly?” and cull about half. By doing so you’re making sure your final board is clear, considered and in control.

 

Kady OConnell
Kady Creative

 

 

 

 

 

 

At Kady Creative, we craft brands that effortlessly attract your dream client and ignite an emotional reaction within their soul. We are passionate about helping like-minded entrepreneurs translate their big vision into a brand they love and grow their online presence through beautiful logos, website, ebook designs and online training.

Want to skip the overwhelm of launching alone and work with a team that values real connection, endless curiosity, true creativity, contagious enthusiasm and a cheeky cocktail or two? Come collaborate with us, we’re already rooting for you.