A new concept is currently making its way into many of the fields we work in, such as graphic design and web design, as well as film, photography and video games. In our industry, of course, we need to be familiar with it, and we also want our clients and readers to be, so in the following post we explain what a moodboard is and why your startup needs one.
What do we call a Mood Board?
Do you know what brainstorming is? Well, a MoodBoard lets you capture all those ideas through references or visual concepts with which we aim to project a concept or style we have created ourselves.
It helps you explain what you have in mind but is hard to put into words (concepts, results of inspiration, ambiguous or general settings with undefined points).
In fact, it is a board we can use for both group and individual work, since everyone can make their own contributions, whether we are working together, in a meeting, for example, or a single designer once they have gotten down to work.
Steps to create a MoodBoard
The first thing to keep in mind is that a MoodBoard accepts any kind of idea or reference; it is not plagiarism. You start, initially, from a single color or color palette toward which we will steer the entire project.
Within the board, we can show our ideas in different sizes, which will reflect the hierarchy in which we want the concepts to be treated. Therefore, the references that carry the most meaning will appear larger.
Don't forget that the most important thing is to always keep the most interesting references in mind and make sure they don't lose that SEO. The more concepts you want to include, the greater the risk of losing the essence of the MoodBoard, so simplicity should be a rule, at least until we learn to use this resource.
What format should a MoodBoard be created in?
You can choose a physical or digital format. Each has its pros and cons. In our view, the physical format can really help you develop the original idea further. In fact, you can take references from the real world. Its main drawbacks are that you have to print a lot, which can become expensive if you have many images, and it is also very difficult to share with others if your team works remotely.
If you prefer the digital option, you can add images instantly and endlessly, which is a big advantage. But it will keep you working in front of a screen for quite a while, and you may spend less time reflecting, on top of forcing you to sit in front of it even longer than you usually do.
If you decide to go with the latter, you can find a large number of apps that will help you with your design, such as Milanote, Pinterest or Tumblr. You just need to organize your ideas, put them on the platform and rank how important each one is to you.
What do you think of the MoodBoard? Do you think it's a resource your StartUp should have?
For us, it is without a doubt the simplest and most visual way to work on your ideas and give them order, priority, feasibility and more. Give it a try!