Why Mood Boards are worth the effort

Here at Wiliam, before we start any new website design, we begin by creating a mood board for the project. Mood boards are a collection of assets, other web designs, patterns, textures, colours etc that create a basis for a very basic style guide and tone we would want to carry through onto the website design. Mood boards are a brainstorming activity that are not only fun but highly beneficial.

One of the most beneficial reasons to create a mood board is to show clients a proposed look and feel without investing too much time and effort in the wrong direction. This allows us to better collaborate with our clients and ensure we head down the right track.

To get the most out of a mood board exercise with clients, I believe that 2 or 3 variations in direction should be show. For example, one could be illustrative, sketchy, using hand written text and bright colours whilst the could be more refined and muted in terms of colour choices. It is important to stick to the clients brand guidelines but this is also the time to push the boundaries a bit and see what the reaction is.

When presenting the mood board to clients, it is important to talk through the reasons for each variation and direction. This gives the client more confidence in your choices and shows that you have listened to their brief. However, in most cases the client will immediately identify with one direction on the board which makes the excerise easier and beneficial.