How to use a mood board to find inspiration
Often when we are immersed in creative environments and we have to start a new project, it happens that we find ourselves blocked before even having started. It's like writer's block, except it affects all types of projects — from website designs to wedding planning to interior design.
The whole problem lies in finding that initial spark that will then set off all the other ideas like an avalanche.
But designers and artists whose financial health depends on their creations need a way to reliably overcome this problem. One of the tools they use for this purpose is the “mood board.” Let’s take a closer look at this tool and see how it can help you.
WHAT IS A MOOD BOARD?
Mood in English means: Mood and board: Table. It is therefore a mood board, but we can rather translate it as an inspiration board. Essentially, a mood board is a collage of sorts. This means that you will take different images and arrange them on a single page. Your chart can be made on paper or with your computer, it doesn't matter. You can reserve a private board on Pinterest, stick lots of small pieces of paper in a dedicated notebook, pile everything into a box... It's not the choice of process that counts, but the way in which you fill it. The idea is to find anything related to the topic or work you are trying to create. and determine what orientation you want to give to its graphic identity.
So, if you need to create a website for a fitness business, you can create your collage using screenshots of other fitness websites, fitness-related images that could inspire the logo, and others photos that might inspire you. Collect as many images as possible and in the end you should end up with a single page that will fuel your inspiration. At the start, don't sort: accumulate.
WHY ARE MOOD BOARDS SO EFFECTIVE?
When we are looking for the main direction we want for our design or for a given project, sometimes we find it difficult to put into words what we want. This is why mood boards are the perfect solution. When you have lots of photos arranged on a single page, you should start to notice common themes and ideas begin to emerge. This, in turn, should allow you to start to get a sense of the direction you want to take your design by selecting elements that work well together and eliminating others.
This is not about copying the images you see, you should use it as a way to visualize your preferences and give them cohesion and combine the ideas you have into something unique, but inspired by the best examples in your niche.
The mood board is used in many different fields today. If we obviously find it on the graphic side, it also serves as a communication support in advertising, editorial, fashion or decoration. You have to have fun creating it. These are the first “real” stones of your building.
