Whether designing a website, a mobile app, packaging or undergoing a complete re-brand, mood boards play a valuable role in the design process that should not be overlooked. They provide a clear reference for designers to refer to when starting a new project and allow them to communicate the aesthetic of a project to the client, before getting laser-focused on functional design decisions.
Sometimes referred to as brand boards, mood boards are often presented as a loose collection of images, colours, and typography a mood board represents the overall aesthetic and style of a design. It will commonly include photography, illustration styles, a colour palette, and typographic hierarchy.
The purpose of a mood board is to give the client and the design team a clear understanding of a project’s visual identity and to serve as a reference for design decisions. This can save time and frustration over the course of a project as it reduces the need for constant revisions and redesigns
Moodboards can be expanded into brand guidelines that ensure consistency across projects. By having a reference guide that all team members can refer to, the design team can ensure that all design elements are cohesive and on-brand, building trust and credibility with customers. This is especially important for brands with multiple products or services.
Creating a mood board doesn’t have to be a time-consuming or complicated process. It can be as simple or as detailed as the design team wants it to be. The key is to make sure that it effectively communicates the design’s visual identity and serves as a reference for design decisions.
Mood boards in responsive website design
Moodboards are especially effective when designing a responsive website as they provide a number of benefits in addition to allowing for the aesthetic to be easily communicated.
- Flexibility: Moodboards provide a general visual direction for the website, rather than specific design elements. This allows for more flexibility in the design process and makes it easier to adapt the website to different screen sizes and devices.
- User-centred design: Moodboards allow designers to focus on the user’s experience and create a website that is tailored to the user’s needs. This is particularly important when creating responsive websites, as the design needs to work seamlessly across multiple devices and screen sizes.
- Easier to make changes: Moodboards provide a high-level overview of the website’s design, rather than specific details. This means that it is easier to make changes and adapt the design as needed, rather than having to make changes to a finished design.
- Better communication: Moodboards are a useful tool for communicating the overall aesthetic and style of the website to stakeholders and clients. They provide a visual representation of the website’s design and help ensure everyone is on the same page.
- Cost and Time-effective: By using a mood board instead of finished designs, designers can identify and resolve any design issues early on in the process, reducing the need for costly redesigns later on.
Moodboards play an essential role in our process at Yes! They allow for greater flexibility in the design process, help us focus on user-centred design, are easier to make changes, allow for better communication, and are more cost and time-effective. They allow us to focus on the audience’s needs, on a website’s functionality, and also cater for multiple devices and screen sizes rather than designing pictures of websites.