Moodboards: Step by Step Inside My Brain
Ever wish our brains came with a projector to show you what we see in our mind? I know I certainly have.
It can be challenging to try to see inside a designer's head and grasp the vision they have for your brand when you’re chatting over Zoom. They’re talking font styles, colors, and inspiration they’re drawing from and you’re back at zero still trying to google what a serif typeface is. (*hint* it’s the letters that have little feet at the ends of the character shapes)
By the time the call is ending you’re left feeling uneasy and with no idea what to expect from a first draft of your new branding. I’ll be blunt- that is an atrocious feeling you should never have to feel when hanging up with your designer. When that call ends you should be jazzed about the design they’re going to create and confident in their vision for your business. Any other feelings, and that ineffective designer has just failed you as a client.
To avoid that nightmare for everyone, my favorite tool to utilize is a moodboard. I actually really enjoy creating these for clients because it helps me articulate my thoughts for my client and helps them see the direction I’m going in for them.
Here’s a little look at my process:
Step 1: COLOR
When I’m gathering color inspiration for a moodboard, I’ve already curated the brand colors and I’m looking for inspiration of them being used in the real world or how they occur naturally. This may lead to new combinations of colors or tints/shades to add to the existing hero color.
Step 2: TEXTURE
This is a place where I can really play with the feel of the brand. Textures have a direct correlation to our reaction or perception of a brand (ie. smooth and sleek versus rough and natural) and these feelings go hand-in-hand with the psychology of the brand colors I’ve chosen.
Step 3: VIBE
Here I don’t want to show you design or logo ideas but the overall aesthetic we want the brand to embody. If a customer saw some of these element.s would they recognize them as a part of your brand? This absolutely has to correlate directly with your brand values - no ifs, ands, or buts - because the overall vibe of your branding is something that will stick with people even if a distinct graphic does not.
Step 4: FONT
You aren’t a typeface geek like me and I don’t expect you to be! Including some examples here lets you see the style of fonts I’m thinking of even if they aren’t the exact choice that will be used. Is a curly script font right for your business or are we going sleek sans serif all the way? Your moodboard has the answer.
When I build a moodboard, I’m not just picking pretty things — I’m curating with intention. It’s about setting the tone for your brand and communicating clear direction for the branding I’m going to create for your business.
Looking for clarity? This is the shortcut to the branding you’ve been dreaming of.
