Why mood boards?
Mood boards create a visual guide, a clear vision if you like. It’s a great feeling setting out to meet a client with trusted mood boards tucked under my arm. Clients are always so eager to see me, (or perhaps it’s the mood boards they’re pleased to see). Clients have told me they would rather us spend our time on developing our visual thoughts than jump straight in to an idea or concept that they may not like. They feel part of the process, and I think that’s crucial.
There are also no big surprises. I love it when we present a mood board and you can feel the energy from the client as they express how and why it works. Not all mood boards hit the mark but that’s exactly the reason they work – to save investing time and effort into an idea that doesn’t work, for whatever reason.
Here’s one we made earlier!
When to use a mood board?
Mood boards can also be called inspiration boards and we use them in a variety of ways. We use them to convey a new brand, when we want to demonstrate to the client how their brand could be brought to life. We also use them to express how the components of a direct mail campaign would work. Clients have asked us to produce them before we start creating brochures and also to portray the look and feel of their new website.
Simple and effective
For me, it’s the simplicity of the mood boards that works. You look at them, and you just get it.
When we’ve introduced clients to the world of mood boards, we’ve found that they can’t wait to start new projects, just so that they can see how the project could look.
I was brought up in a world of marker visuals, where the idea is loose and not fine-tuned. Clients loved marker visuals (sometimes more than the finished article), and I’ve often wondered why that is. I think for a client it’s the involvement and excitement of grasping the idea and imagining where it can go. Mood boards are not boxed in by limitations (they follow). The ideas are alive and can be taken wherever you want them to go. Imagination kicks in and marketers love to use their creative imagination.
For all types of thinkers
Mood boards are great for all clients. The big thinkers and strategic marketers can visualize how it fits together and plot out the big picture. Our clients who like the fine detail use them as catalysts to start their thinking. You can see their minds turning over the idea and planning the finer details.
The mood boards we create depend on the client we are producing them for, again another reason for them to be loved – they can be personalised. Typically we would cover ideas, concepts, photography style, colourways, typography, patterns and the overall look and feel. Is it modern or traditional? Dark or light? Funky or safe? A collection of colours, textures and pictures is all it takes to evoke a specific style or feeling.
As the mood board is intentionally casual, it lets the designer start to bring the concept to life and get feedback before too much time is invested in the wrong direction. We like to think of it as visual prototyping.
In fact mood boards are so much fun. Designing loosely lets designers brainstorm and explore different styles without the limitations.
But I guess the biggest reason why I love them though, is because they make our clients happy!
Happy Karen
Karen Lambert is a Marketing expert and chief Happy at Happy Creative, a full service marketing and creative agency based in Blackpool, Lancashire. To learn more or contact us please go to www.happy-creative.co.uk
