A mood board is literally a “mood board”, that is to say a space of freedom that allows you to place all your sources of inspiration in one place. This montage of different graphic elements is very useful for developing a creative concept, for example when launching a brand, determining your visual identity, setting up an event. It helps feed your ideas and clarify your wishes. It is also a valuable tool for communicating with your graphic designer. LOGO COMPANY, the 1st agile solution to produce all your creative content (graphics, writing and video) details for you the procedure to follow to create an effective moldboard.
Discover the 4 steps to make a good moldboard:
1. Open your eyes and watch
2. Know how to sort out
3. Determine the guideline of your moldboard
4. Learn to present your ideas
1. OPEN YOUR EYES AND WATCH
Far from being a rigid and impersonal document, a moldboard must evoke a universe, an artistic direction and allow to project oneself. It is a very important document for your graphic designer because it allows him at a glance to have a precise idea of what you have in mind. The mood board is an excellent complement to the brief.
At the beginnings of a project, the moldboard is an exceptional source of inspiration. This is also its primary vocation: it inspires. In this step, you have to let your imagination run free, unfiltered. Everything around you is likely to give your ideas: the internet, magazines, metro advertisements, a discussion with those around you, a work of art, etc. Do not hesitate to take a walk equipped with a notebook and a camera. Collect flyers, newspaper clippings and why not even flowers or leaves.
You can also draw inspiration from the latest creative trends, to identify the one that speaks to you, the artistic current that attracts you. Above all, take advantage of the moments when you are doing the day before to record references, tips and good practices that inspire you. The very definition of a moodboard is a board of inspiration and the main rules to succeed are not to censor yourself and accumulate everything that caught your eye.
2. KNOW HOW TO SORT
After having gathered all the necessary material, it is time to structure your ideas, to do some selection work. Take the time to carefully observe the documents collected, to bring them together around common themes. For example, you can group your ideas by color, by major theme, by subject, etc. Make connections between your creative tracks, analyze why you selected them. For example, you can make 3 piles: on one side everything you are sure about, then the ideas you doubt and finally those which ultimately do not suit you. Refine your selection as much as possible to keep only the 1st stack, building a harmonious picture. A very simple advice, remove the elements that do not go with any other. During this step you sort through your ideas and remove all superfluous inspirations to keep only the most meaningful documents.
3. DETERMINE THE GUIDELINE OF YOUR MOODBOARD
After this filtering work, one or more directions should appear, allowing you to define a style. It is important that the elements kept are harmonious. In general, keep 2 or 3 main colors, “raw” details (a pattern, a typography, and a material) and some situational images, such as advertisements to illustrate the general mood. Also pay attention to the diversity of visual typologies: photography, drawing, collages, scribbles with your hand, typographies, color palettes…
Do not hesitate to use words which will allow you to frame the imagination (that of your colleagues but also of customers). Give your moodboard a title, add a few keywords or a phrase to sum up the mood.
Make sure the choice of visuals is eclectic. If you are thinking about the web design of a fashion brand, above all do not only offer visuals of clothing, on the contrary think of design, architecture, fashion, gastronomy, furniture, everyday objects, graphics, colors, materials, fabrics .
Clarify the elements kept to be sure to convey at a glance the atmosphere, the emotions, the sensations you want to convey. There are several online tools available to prepare your moodboard, like Canvas, but Pinterest is also a great option. You can easily create multiple boards and then organize your Pins into subcategories. Once your selection work is finalized, prepare a board (for example on PowerPoint) with all the chosen elements. Take care of the layout so that the rendering gives envy and perfectly evokes the desired universe to your graphic designer.
4. LEARN TO PRESENT YOUR IDEAS
A final step awaits you to be ready to defend your project and express the artistic direction you have imagined. It is essential that you know how to put words into your ideas. Prepare to describe your moodboard, enrich your presentation with details and anecdotes to convey the impressions and the mood you wanted to describe. Take care of your vocabulary, you do not convey the same emotions by simply talking about sobriety or by evoking polar tones, a cozy atmosphere, a dual universe . The devil is hidden in the details! Finally, do not hesitate to change your moodboard. If, for example, you are working on a substantial project, such as creating a brand or visual identity, do not hesitate to come back to your moodboard and refine it according to the exchanges with your creative.
WHAT IF YOU GOT STARTED?
You now have all the cards in hand to build a good moodboard. It is a precious support in the search for inspiration, a guide for the conceptualization stage and an ally for the communication stage. To be sure of the success of your project, all you have to do is surround yourself with the right team. At Logo Design Company, our Project Managers accompany you throughout the process and select for you the best freelance creative (artistic director, graphic designer, videographer, editor…) according to your project. Live exchanges with your creative via an intuitive platform, controlled prices and deadlines, discover an innovative solution to launch all your creative projects in a few clicks. Let’s go? 😉
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