This week’s topic on «What Is» is the Mood board.

«What Is» is a series of posts I started a year ago in which I explain the different aspects of web and graphic design.

Definition

A mood board is an arrangement of images, materials, pieces of text, etc., intended to evoke or project a particular style or concept¹. You can use it to convey a general idea or feeling about a specific topic.

Concerning the brand-building process, we can define it as a collection of designs, images, shapes, symbols and colours that represent your brand².

Purpose of a mood board

In branding, the purpose of a mood board is to describe the atmosphere around your brand. It helps reflect your character and style and depicts the images, shapes and patterns to use in your visual communication.

A mood board is an excellent time-saver for you and your team, as you can rely on it for inspiration and guidance.

Indeed, when illustrating your work, it shows you precisely what direction you need to go instead of spending large amounts of time thinking and looking for suitable visuals.

When can I use it?

When it comes to the image you want to project, your mood board helps you stay on brand. As such, it is your go-to library when hunting for photos to post on your social media, for instance. 

In addition, it will serve you for your email newsletters, the blog articles on your website and any other communication material you’re working on at the time.

You will revert to your mood board as a reminder of consistency for the look and feel of your brand:

• colours, 
• style, 
• forms and designs.

In conclusion

Your mood board embodies the emotions that your brand wants to evoke.

It is a whole part of your branding strategy in the sense that it shows you exactly what to look for to sustain the consistency of your brand’s visual message.

Thanks for reading