GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR MOOD BOARD
Have I told you how much I love mood boards? They are crazy-crucial for my design process to make sure I'm on the same page with my clients. They probably take the most time out everything I work on in a branding project. I spend so much time curating images to make sure it's just right.
Why? Because it sets the tone for the rest of the project.
I show these mood boards to a client and invite criticism because it should be dead-on with their brand vision.
If it's not, discussing what works and what doesn't gives me valuable feedback that I use to dictate what comes next: the logo design. The mood board is like the essence of the brand, boiled down into one big ol' beautiful soup-o-squares.
So how can you make sure you
get the most out of your mood board?
Think about how you feel when you look at the mood board as a whole. This is honestly the most important item. What mood does it convey? What emotions do you feel? What actions do you want to take? These should be in line with what you want others to feel when they see you brand or website. It should be dead on. And if it isn't...
Think about what doesn't fit that mood. Is there an element that's giving off the wrong vibe? Maybe some of the graphic elements or colors aren't quite right. You can even try covering the offending element to see if the mood board works without it.
Consider the big picture. Sure, it's on trend and the colors are pretty, but does it really work for all the visual platforms you'll be using to tell your brand story? Make sure the mood board will allow your brand to live online, in print and anywhere else you will run your biz.
Are you proud of this de sign? Do you want to show your mom, you're biz bestie or even your cat? AWESOME! You should love it and be excited to show it off to your future clients. It will be the direction for your beautiful business, after all.
If you look for these key items when critiquing the mood board for your brand's direction, you should easily get the most out of the mood board process.
Ready to get the mood board party started?
Head this-a-way to try your hand at a DIY mood board.