Abstract
Words like warm or premium mean different things to different people. A mood board gets around that by showing examples. It puts reference images and a colour palette on one surface, so everyone is pointing at the same thing.
Nobody invented it; designers and art directors have pinned references to a wall before starting work for a long time. A good board is edited hard. Every image should fit three to five feeling words, and a short list of what the project should never feel like helps you say no to the rest.
Method
- 01
Write the brief
Name the project and the audience, then pick three to five feeling words. Every reference has to fit them.
- 02
Collect widely
Gather photos and textures that carry the feeling, including ones from outside your field.
- 03
Edit hard
Keep six to twelve images that point the same way. If one needs explaining, it probably belongs on another board.
- 04
Pull out colour and type
Take a few colours from the images and pick a typeface that suits them. Check that text colours have enough contrast.
- 05
Draw the edges
List what it should feel like and what it should never feel like. The second list is often more useful.
- 06
Share and react
Show the board before real work starts. Ask people to point at what feels right and what feels off, then revise.
When to use it
- Before a brand or product is designed, to agree on its tone.
- A client says they'll know it when they see it.
- Your team keeps using the same adjectives and picturing different things.
Common pitfalls
- Collecting everything you like. If the board points in every direction, it doesn't help anyone choose.
- Copying a reference too closely. Use it to set a direction for your own design.
- Skipping the feeling words. Without them, nobody can say why an image belongs.
- Choosing colours that look lovely but are hard to read as text on the background.
Origin and references
Attributed to Common practice in design, art direction and architecture.
- Lupton, E. (2011). Graphic Design Thinking: Beyond Brainstorming. Princeton Architectural Press.
- W3C (2018). Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Success Criterion 1.4.3: Contrast (Minimum).