Creating a Mood Board

A mood board is a great source to help you communicate with a designer what it is that you are looking for in a brand or project. Pictures, Colors, other examples of logos, and marketing materials say a lot about the direction you like and what you are going for.

Small Studio Brand Shop Mood Board

When I was dreaming up the Small Studio Brand Shop, I struggled to really nail down what it was that I wanted my own brand to be and what I wanted my brand to say. I had this idea in the back of my mind that kept nagging at me, and it was… the 70s. There is something about the colors, the curves, and the energy of that time that I have always loved. I was nervous to really dive into though, because I felt like it might not be approachable. But the more I thought about it, the more I felt like it was the perfect direction to take my brand. One of the things I love about the colors and inspiration I found was that it wasn’t “normal”. Its not that its un-normal, but it felt different.

And then I laughed at myself, because … what better way to be authentic and stand out then to make sure you don’t look like the rest? Duh. I wanted my brand to be fun and full of energy, I wanted to move away from sharp lines and anything that felt corporate. I wanted to create that energy for me, but also for my clients and I think I was able to accomplish just that.

As we dive into the parts of your mood board, remember - nothing about this has to be permanent. You could assemble three, you could make one and decide that is the direction you're going for. Have fun and pull together what FEELS right… it is after all a mood!

Things to Include on your Mood Board

Colors

Look up color palettes that feel right to you. Colors you love is a great place to start. Creating the board on Pinterest? Type in color palettes and go crazy! Ignore whether or not they are “home painting” palettes, and just focus on pinning what you love! Creating a physical board? Hop in the car and go to home depot - the paint section is a great tangible way to get your hands on some colors and get inspired.

Photos

Think about how you want your brand to feel, think about family photos you have that you never get sick of looking at, think about that picture you took of your pizza last week (yum!). All of these things can go on your board. A great resource for photos is unsplash and I love sharing it with people. Search for whatever comes to might or look through the collections.

Text

When you’re looking at text on pinterest, sometimes what you like about the quote isn’t the words, its the way the typography has been laid out. So look for both! You may want to make a note for yourself about why you pinned it or saved it if it feels off brand from the rest of what you’re pulling together.

Patterns

Look at patterns on clothing, look at black and white patterns, look for individual icons/shapes that you like.. those can always feel good as a pattern. Another great thing for you to search on is texture. If you are going for a clean and crisp look and feel, you probably won’t pick out textures that feel grungy or dirty.

Websites

Depending on what your service is - it might be a good idea to check out the competition! Take some screenshots - look at the photos and brands of your competitors. Sometimes its not your competition who has the websites you love. It might be brands. A board that has a screenshot of the Aveda website is most likely going to be a lot different than the board that has a screenshot from DC Shoes.

If you need help creating a mood board for your branding or a special project, let me know! I love to help with that stuff! I can also help with one if you’re ready to start diving into Branding!