Mood boards are most often associated with DIY projects or home decorating plans, but they may be so much more than that! If you’re like the majority of people, you probably consider mood boards to be a means to get ideas for your next do-it-yourself project or interior design plan. While they can certainly help with this, mood boards can actually do so much more.

Mood boards are a fantastic way to get your creative juices flowing and help you develop ideas for just about anything. From multi-team projects to building the foundations of a company, learning to use mood boards as part of your initial brainstorming process can help you save time and energy when maturing an idea.

What is a Mood Board?

A mood board, also known as an inspiration board, is a collection of images, materials, or words that represent the ideas and emotions you want to communicate in your project. Mood boards can be physical collages or digital collections, and they can be used in any field where creative expression is important, including graphic design, web design, interior design, fashion design, and more.

In a study published in the Journal of Business Research, mood boards were found to be useful in setting the scene, directing activities, and aligning sub-products by providing a point of reference. Furthermore, the study showed that mood boards helped reduce decision fatigue by providing a clear path for action. In other words, when you have a well-developed mood board to reference, making decisions becomes much easier.

Who Is The Moodboard For?

Mood boards are intended for individuals, organizations, or businesses. Mood boards aid everyone working on a project in better comprehending the objective of the endeavor when they’re developed and utilized correctly.

When a mood board is being created for an individual, it’s more about how the project will make them feel. An excellent example of this would be putting together a vision board to help manifest your goals. On the other hand, if you’re creating a mood board for an organization or business, you’ll want to focus on how the project can tie into the company’s mission statement or values.

What Goes Into A Mood Board?

A mood board is a collection of pictures, quotations, colors, typefaces, textures, and other features that excite you. This may include photos, sayings, hues, typefaces, textures, and other components. Assembling a mood board is a fantastic method to get started on your next project’s ideas.

When Should I Use A Moodboard?

The sooner you can get started using a mood board, the better. The earlier you begin developing your ideas, the simpler it will be to achieve them. Depending on the project you’re working on, how you utilize a mood board will vary.

Ideally, you would create a mood board from the get-go. For example, if you’re designing your new website, you’ll want to have a mood board that reflects the overall aesthetic and feel of the site. This will help you determine what colors, fonts, and images to use.

This goes with creating your branding guidelines. A mood board can assist you with developing your company’s color palette, fonts, and logo.

20 Reasons Mood Boards Can Help You Develop Ideas

The process of making a mood board is to help increase creativity. Here are 20 reasons mood boards can do that.

1 Mood boards help establish a common vision for a project

Mood boards help set the tone and feel for what you and your team are trying to create. By collecting images, colors, and other inspiration, you can start to see how all of the pieces fit together. This is especially helpful when working on multi-disciplinary projects with people from different backgrounds.

It establishes a common goal to work towards.

2 Mood boards clarify the vision

When it comes to collaboration, getting on the same page can be tough. A mood board is a great way to provide some clarity while still preserving flexibility in a project with multiple contributors.

3 Mood boards help define the style of a project

A mood board, like a mood board, serves as a visual representation of your overall concept. It’s also similar to how a mood board clarifies the vision in terms of moving forward. When starting work on a website design, for example, it’s critical to have an idea of the aesthetic elements you want it to convey…a mood board may be one step toward achieving that goal!

4 Mood boards jumpstart creativity by providing structure

The final aspect ties in with the previous one- having some parameters to work within (style) may really help you release your creative energy. It’s like how athletes might stretch before a game, preparing their bodies for action – once they get started, their bodies are primed and ready to go!

5 Mood boards help define the scope of a project

Mood boards are a fantastic method to express your design ideas and inspire yourself. They can also assist you in determining what specific components of a project will be addressed…and which ones will be set aside for later. This is especially useful if you’re working with a team and want everyone to understand what’s going on!

6 Mood boards keep everyone organized

Individual mood boards within a project file may help an individual stay organized, but a master mood board might help keep everyone on the same wavelength when it comes to the overall vision for a project. This is especially crucial if various team members are working on separate aspects of the project…or if you need to share your mood board with another department for evaluation!

7 Mood boards can serve as inspiration for future projects

Mood boards may be used as launching pads for future projects once you’ve defined how you want your project to appear and feel. They not only provide a physical point of reference, but they also frequently produce new concepts that wouldn’t have occurred otherwise!

8 Mood boards help establish brand identity

Mood boards are an excellent method to start or refresh your company’s identity. They can help you solidify the aesthetic and feeling of your business, which makes it easier for customers to connect with what you’re selling.

9 Mood boards can speed up the design process

Mood boards may help you save time by assisting you in finalizing a project. They provide a clear description of how you want something to appear and feel, allowing everyone working on the project to collaborate toward a shared objective.

10 Mood boards can improve communication among team members

Mood boards are a great way to keep everyone on the same page when different team members are working on various aspects of the same project. Not only do they give a visual representation of the project, but they may also assist in clarifying any questions or concerns that crew members might have.

11 Mood boards can help you evaluate an idea before committing to it

Creating a mood board is a low-risk approach to experimenting with an idea. Creating a mood board can help you figure out what needs to be done to bring your concept to reality if you’re not sure how something will appear or if it’s even feasible.

12 Mood boards can be used as the foundation for entire businesses

Some companies are started with nothing more than a simple mood board. You improve your chances of success by leaps and bounds if you spend some time developing a well-thought-out plan.

13 Mood boards can help with team communication

Mood boards can assist with keeping everyone on the same page when working on a project with many team members. Team members may avoid duplicate efforts and better comprehend one another’s vision for the project by having a similar reference point.

14 Mood boards can be used as teaching tools.

Mood boards are not only useful for recording your own thoughts on paper but they may also be used to teach others how to brainstorm and create their own ideas.

15 Mood boards can help when pitching an idea

Having a well-designed mood board to support your proposal will provide you authority and demonstrate that you’ve given consideration to your invention when presenting it to others.

16 Mood boards can be used to develop a style guide

Mood boards are a wonderful method to get started on creating a company or project style guide. Mood boards may be an excellent place to start if you’re trying to establish a style for your organization or project. Seeing how diverse elements interact in one location might assist you in making more definitive design choices.

17 Mood boards can help with brand recognition

Creating a mood board that is linked to your brand might help customers and clients recall your work and connect it with specific emotions or values.

18 Mood boards can help when designing packaging

Packaging is an important aspect of product marketing, and having a well-designed mood board can save you time throughout the design process.

19 Mood boards help with team projects

It might be tough to keep track of everyone’s ideas when many people are working on a project. Mood boards may assist with some of that confusion by allowing everyone to express their thoughts and ideas in a tangible or digital format.

20 Mood boards save time in the design process

A mood board is a visual representation of your preferences before you start making anything. It may help you focus your efforts on what’s essential by providing you with a visual representation of your tastes.

How To Start Creating a Mood Board

Now that you know the significance of mood boards, it’s time to get started! There are a few different options for doing this, so find one that works best for you.

If you’re working on a physical project, gather some magazines, fabric swatches, and other materials that inspire you and start cutting them out. If you’re using a computer program like Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator to make a collage, get images from the internet or create it with software like Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator.

Whichever way you choose, be sure to keep your mood board updated as new ideas come up. Doing this will help ensure that your final design is cohesive and on-brand.

Best Mood Board Apps

Now that you know how to make a mood board, it’s time to choose the right tool for the job. Depending on what exactly you’re trying to achieve, there are different software programs and websites that can help you create the perfect mood board.

Figma is by far the best mood board tool for product designers and teams because it’s an all-in-one design platform. Not only can you create mood boards in Figma, but you can also prototype, animate, and collaborate with your team—all in the same space. This makes Figma ideal for larger projects that require input from multiple stakeholders.

InVision is another great mood board tool that’s popular among web and app designers. InVision allows you to upload images and videos, add links, and even embed live websites into your mood boards. This makes InVision a great choice if you want to create an interactive mood board or one that includes animation.

Canva is a free online design platform that’s beloved by many because of its user-friendly interface and extensive library of built-in templates and images. You can use Canva to create digital or printable mood boards—or both! If you want to get really creative, they also offer an animated mood board option.

LucidSpark is another great virtual whiteboard tool that can be used to create mood boards. With LucidSpark, you can add images, videos, and links as well as text notes directly to the board. You can also invite team members to collaborate on your board in real-time, which makes it great for remote teams or brainstorming sessions.

Mural is a digital workspace that helps remote teams stay connected and organized. With Mural, you can easily add images, videos, and links to your mood boards. Plus, you can drag and drop different elements around the board to rearrange them however you like. And if you need some inspiration, Mural has a library of templates that you can use to get started.

If you’re working on a team project, it can be helpful to create a shared mood board that everyone has access to. This way, you can all add images or links that inspire you and help build out the overall aesthetic of the project. Dropbox Paper is a great tool for creating collaborative mood boards—you can even embed video files!

Final Thoughts

Mood boards are a fantastic method for working together with others, getting your thoughts down fast, and iterating on them until you’re happy with the results. Every designer’s toolkit and workflow should contain a mood board.

Happy designing!