You want to begin a new design project but you don’t know where to start? You’ve tried scrolling through inspirational pictures, but you can’t seem to settle on a single design direction. Or maybe you have no idea what creative direction to take and need a tool to help inspire you. There is one thing that every project needs and that’s a mood board.

What is a Mood Board?

Sometimes defined as an inspiration board, a mood board should always be one of the first steps you take when beginning a new design project. Mood boards can be a digital or physical space where you arrange different images, text, materials, patterns, and more all into one easy-to-reference location. There isn’t any set way to create a mood board. They come in various shapes, sizes, and formats. It’s simply a creative space where you can organize all the ideas around your project. 

Main Purpose

A mood board doesn’t have just one main purpose, it has many. It’s great for organizing your project inspiration and helps you narrow down options to make smart design decisions. It can reveal what you like and don’t like. It also allows you to establish a style or aesthetic to help you keep your project consistent. Making sure your project follows consistent rules is crucial for creating a successful design. When working in team settings, a mood board is a good way to display your thoughts and ideas on a project and allows everyone to be on the same page. 

How to Make a Mood Board

For one, you can add images. These can be images of other projects, illustrations, stock photography, and more! Another item you can include is color palettes. These can be swatches of colors that speak to you or images that incorporate color schemes you are drawn to. Fonts and text are another great thing to add to your board. Try to find inspiring fonts that fit the style or aesthetic you are going for. You can also find words or phrases that feel inspiring to the project. Another piece of content you can incorporate is texture. Texture can add an extra layer of depth into a project so consider including some in your next board! Remember, every mood board is different and it’s okay to add whatever feels right to you.

Influencing New Creative Routes

When looking over a mood board you just created, new creative routes might reveal themselves. This is the beauty of a mood board. It serves as a starting point for your creative mind to explore. One project might even have more than one mood board that allows you to dive deeper into creative exploration for the project. Mood boards are tools for you to use, reference, and grow from. It’s important to realize that a mood board is for inspiration and shouldn’t define your project exactly. Use mood boards to your advantage and see where it can take your next project.