A blank canvas is a beautiful thing, but when it’s time to start creating your brand, ad campaign or marketing materials, we don’t necessarily want to go straight from blank canvas to first iteration.
At our creative agency, we develop mood boards to start branding and design projects on the right foot. A mood board involves a little more time and work up front, but dramatically reduces the time spent on revisions later on.
What is a Mood Board?
A mood board is like a collage for your brand. It’s a handpicked collection of inspiration from around the web and around the world. The goal of the exercise is to identify the “look and feel” we wish to achieve, with existing content as a guide. To say it simply, we want to know your style and preferences before we put our creative chops to work.
At Netwave, we create mood boards not just for branding projects, but also for web design, brochures, social media management and more.
Elements of a Mood Board
- Colors and color schemes – What you call “Maroon,” PANTONE® calls “Renaissance Rose.” Choosing precise colors in the beginning helps to develop an overall tone. We also consider how colors evoke different emotions and interact with each other.
- Graphics – Photos and/or illustrations are a must in any mood board. They set the standard for the creative to be developed and again strengthen the overarching concept. Each image has a reason for being included, and works cohesively with the accompanying elements.
- Textures – Patterns and overlays bring variation to the colors and graphics selected. Incorporated either large or small scale, these accents can strengthen the visuals.
- Typefaces – This might be where we have the most fun. The font world is infinite, with new variations being uploaded to the Internet by the minute. Layout examples of headline and body text visually show how your company speaks.
Benefits of a Mood Board
The standout advantage of creating a mood board is that everyone–our team, the client’s team, and the two teams together–can get on the same page prior to creative development. You tell us what you like, what you don’t like, and where to take the project. This way, you have a better idea of what you can expect come presentation time, instead of walking into something totally foreign.
Whether digital, physical or both, a mood board is a great way to get your team excited about your company’s branding or marketing project. It can also be a reference point for additional projects and future endeavors.
Let’s Go Mood Boarding
Mood boarding has helped us develop strong, collaborative relationships with our clients. They trust us with their image, their messaging, and their marketing dollars.
Ready to work smarter with Netwave? Contact us and let’s talk about your next project. All it takes is a short conversation to move into the mood board phase!
