Ian James Cox - Interactive designer in web and print

Express your opinions with the right mood 1

Filed in Code / Design

Recently I had the chance to try a different approach for the creative process. Without thinking in-depth I dropped all my initial thoughts down visually. Without letting them develop too much I use magazines, print outs of the web, textures, notes and Just splash it all on big a2 boards.

There are many articles on mood boards out there. Mood boards are a frequent thing in the design world such as interior but rare in our web design field. That doesn’t mean that its not a great way to start a project. A few months ago on the recommendation (and time allocation) of Dom at Flame I used a new project to try this approach. The Results? The best work I’ve ever done and hopefully a runner in some of this years design awards. More on that project in the the next few weeks.

Benefits / Advantages

Firstly its a good way to show the client which direction you want to take the project. Using Colors, Fonts, Imagery, Themes, Feelings, Textures, Layouts, Tones you will paint a destination. Moodboards give the client a choice. a view. an opinion. They can use the mood boards to communicate how they want the project to look using the basic action of pointing, (insert joke about stupid clients here).

Mood boards are also great for big creative development projects with large teams. Too many cooks spoil the broth. Not with mood boards. Mood boards lock down the creative direction as well as being a launch pad for any creative taking over the lead.

Even though some people might think mood boards to be a waste of time, overall mood boards will save you precious time as well a happy client who feels he has contributed.