Mood boards are a superb example of how visual storytelling is shaping the next decade. For a start, mood boards are extensively used by designers and those from the creative fields to communicate ideas with clients. These beautifully presented collages of concepts and inspiration allow clients to understand a designer’s creative vision. Now, have you been meaning to make a mood board but are not too sure how and where to get started?

A mood board typically includes a combination of images, texts, photographs, and textures to explore and present an idea in a way that words alone cannot. However, these elements are not standalone features on a board. Instead, they tie together to tell a cohesive story about a vision. This story has to be clear or the purpose of the mood board is lost. Mood boards are often used in client presentations but they’re also equally important to tracking and feeding the designer’s own vision.

5-step method for creating your mood board to communicate your creative idea more effectively

1. Define your idea.
The ultimate aim of a mood board is to communicate your creative ideas. To do this you first need to define what that idea is. What messaging are you trying to broadcast to your clients and audiences?

For example, your company services small business phone lines. You need to make a list of target keywords that come to mind in relation to your brand and niche. These could include small businesses, phone lines, business phone systems, budget phones, and remote sales communications.

You can then move on to researching these keywords and finding relevant inspiration in the form of illustrations, typography, colours, and more. This way, you’ll have a streamlined approach to shaping your concept and filtering out distractions. When you pursue the right leads, you’ll have more success in finding the right ideas.

2. Curate your mood board.
A mood board, while being a visual record of your creative ideas is not a scrapbook. You’re trying to communicate your ideas with this board so using it merely as a dumping ground for random image and text inspirations defeats the purpose.

Your mood board is what your client will see to understand your concept about the brand. The board has to tell a story. Take time to curate your mood board so that the different elements on it can relate logically and organically to each other. Your board shouldn’t seem like an unconnected sequence of isolated words and images.

For example, you’re an estate agent hosting a virtual open house. The elements in your presentation will include a video tour of the house, a focus on its USP like a period fireplace, and a breakdown of the floor plan and specifications. You wouldn’t include pictures of other apartments you have sold, because that’s irrelevant to the presentation.

Similarly, for mood boards, each element you include has to be carefully curated so it makes sense when put together as part of the bigger picture.

3. Focus on your key image.
A good rule of thumb while creating a mood board is to focus on one key image and structure all other elements around it. The key image should be bigger than the other elements so it can draw the audience’s attention immediately.

For example, if you’re trying to sell Christmas decors, your key image should be of the decors. This central image should be bigger and surrounded by images and words related to Christmas. It’s natural to be drawn in by the big picture in a collage and then start linking the surrounding elements to this feature image. This is another reason why you should use visual storytelling in sales. A picture is worth a thousand words.

4. Use real-life photos.
While stock photos are wonderful, real-life photos provide a more authentic feel to your mood board. You don’t need fancy gadgets to take these photos. Your phone camera can take perfectly good shots. From interesting street-side graffiti to the flowers in your garden – everything can provide potential inspiration for an idea.

For example, the colour of a rose in your garden may be exactly the shade you want for your product packaging. Don’t worry about taking the perfect photo. What matters is the connection it has with your product. Real-life photos and elements are great for evoking emotional responses. This pays when you’re presenting to a client.

5. Don’t make assumptions.
The number one rule when creating a mood board is to imagine that you’re presenting it to people who have no idea about your brand or product.

Avoid starting with the assumption that people know what you’re trying to convey. Use more references if you need to but make sure your mood board is designed in a way that’s easy to understand and mostly self-explanatory.