A brand mood board is a powerful design tool that narrates the visual story of your brand. It plays a crucial role in establishing and maintaining a consistent, attractive look for your brand, making it essential for shaping your brand’s visual aesthetic.
Mood boards encompass a variety of elements, including typography, color palettes, textures, and patterns—all of which contribute to your brand’s overall vibe.
Creating a mood board is a vital step in your brand design process, as it lays the groundwork for your visual identity. It streamlines your design decisions and guides you toward achieving the cohesive and consistent brand identity you desire.
What is a mood board?
A mood board serves as the design inspiration for your brand, acting as a curated collection of imagery that captures the desired look and feel. It encompasses colors, fonts, textures, and even words that reflect the company’s personality.
Creatives and designers have long utilized mood boards to steer their creative process, initially developed to convey emotional qualities between designers and clients. Research indicates that viewing images can evoke a sense of both detachment and engagement (Grimshaw and Ravetz, 2005; Taussig, 1993), as well as combine rationality with emotionality (Belova, 2006), promoting both cognitive and emotional engagement.
In essence, mood boards bridge the gap between logical business objectives and the emotional, intangible aspects of design psychology. They provide a holistic view of what you aim to achieve through your design efforts.
Mood board vs brand board
A brand mood board differs from a traditional style guide or brand board in that it serves as an inspirational starting point for creativity rather than a strict guideline for designing your brand.
Your mood board acts as the initial foundation for crafting your brand identity. In contrast, a brand board is the finalized document showcasing your brand logos, sub-marks, icons, complete color palette, patterns, illustrations, typography, and images for visual direction.
For instance, take a look at the mood board I created for Forest Tails. While the brand style guide incorporates elements from the mood board, it also includes the logo suite, sub-marks, icons, the full color palette, and typography.
When should I build a mood board?
While many people mistakenly begin their branding journey with a mood board, it should not be the first step. Before gathering inspiration, it’s crucial to develop your brand strategy, which addresses the “why” behind how your brand should look and feel.
Once you’ve established your brand strategy, you can delve into your brand essence and start collecting visual inspiration that aligns with your desired brand identity.
After creating your brand, mood boards can serve as a source of inspiration and guidance for various creative projects within your business, such as:
- New product launches
- Seasonal sales campaigns
- New courses or programs
- Brand photoshoots
- Podcast graphics
- Online memberships
- Books, eBooks, and PDFs
- Office or studio design
You can create different mood boards for specific campaigns, programs, or products, as well as for sales pages, website design, and microsites or apps.
Mood board for brand consistency
Your mood board is a foundational step in creating a cohesive brand identity. It outlines the vision for your visual identity, helping to convey the deeper goals of your business.
While you may be familiar with color psychology and its power to evoke feelings, it’s important to recognize that fonts also have personalities that can influence our emotions and perceptions. A font can convey a sense of happiness, professionalism, or whimsy, impacting how we interpret the text.
Choosing colors, fonts, and patterns in isolation can lead to mismatches. For example, a color you love might not pair well with a font you admire, or a pattern may clash with your chosen photography style. However, by assembling these elements in a mood board, you can more easily assess whether they harmonize and enhance your brand.
Research published in the Journal of Business Research indicates that mood boards facilitate brand coordination by:
- Setting the scene
- Directing and aligning activities
- Establishing a reference point
Rather than constraining creativity, mood boards encourage it by:
- Allowing room for interpretation
- Providing inspiration
- Enabling self-expression and a unique style
When everyone in your organization works from the same design inspiration, it fosters a consistent approach across your brand identity, website design, packaging, and marketing materials, streamlining the branding process.
For small business owners who may be working with multiple freelancers or external suppliers, a mood board serves as a clear communication tool for design concepts.
A mood board is a powerful tool for ensuring your team stays aligned, whether you’re working with in-house designers, new staff members, or external freelancers and agencies. I’ve found that sharing brand mood boards with photographers and copywriters effectively conveys the brand’s look and feel. Sometimes, having both visual and verbal cues can make communication even clearer and more effective.
What to include on a brand mood board
While there are no strict rules for creating a brand mood board, following some useful frameworks can help guide your choices. Typically, a brand mood board includes:
- Brand vibe words: Key descriptors that capture the essence of your brand.
- Type inspiration: Fonts that align with your brand’s personality.
- Logo inspiration: Visual references for logo designs.
- Colour palette: A selection of colors that represent your brand’s aesthetic.
- Photography: Images that evoke the desired mood and style.
- Art: Artwork that resonates with your brand identity.
- Quotes: Inspirational phrases that reflect your brand values.
- Textures: Material qualities that contribute to your brand’s feel.
- Patterns: Designs that complement your overall theme.
- Illustrations: Visual elements that add personality.
Aim for a diverse collection of inspirations to provide a holistic sense of how your brand should be communicated, avoiding an over-reliance on any single element like photos or textures.
Choosing a colour palette for your mood board
Selecting a color palette for your mood board is one of the most vital steps in establishing a brand identity. It’s essential not only to choose colors that reflect your brand’s essence but also to select hues that will inspire and engage your ideal clients.
Color psychology plays a significant role in our daily lives, influencing how customers perceive and interact with their surroundings. People often make choices based on color, whether it’s for their homes, workplaces, vehicles, or even clothing. This impact extends to how they respond to brands.
When crafting your brand mood board, draw color inspiration from the images and elements within the board itself. Ensure that there’s sufficient contrast among the chosen colors to maintain visual clarity; you’ll need colors that work well for both backgrounds and text. A well-thought-out color palette will not only enhance your brand’s visual appeal but also resonate with your audience on an emotional level.
HOW MANY COLOURS TO CHOOSE?
The number of colors you select for your brand mood board should reflect the depth and complexity of your brand identity. To maintain consistency across all branding materials, such as logo design and website themes, it’s ideal to limit your palette. Aiming for five colors is generally a good rule of thumb.
If you’re targeting a high-end or luxury market, consider narrowing your palette even further to 2-4 main colors. This minimalist approach enhances the elegance and sophistication of your brand, making it more recognizable and cohesive across various platforms.
ACCENTS, NEUTRALS AND COMPLEMENTARY COLOURS
When selecting a color palette, begin with your ‘body’ colors, which are the primary colors that will define your brand. From there, choose an accent color to add visual interest and a neutral tone for balance (commonly, black is used in logos).
It’s essential to consider the tones of the colors you choose. Aim for colors that share similar or complementary tones, as this will create a harmonious and cohesive look for your brand. This careful selection will enhance the overall aesthetic and effectiveness of your branding materials.
Mood board for brand identity
When creating a mood board for your brand identity, it’s essential to first consult your brand strategy to understand how your brand should look and feel. While it’s helpful to be aware of your competitors’ brands, building a unique brand that stands out relies on your distinct energy, skills, and vision.
Begin by identifying 2-3 words that describe how you want your brand to look and 3 words that capture how you want it to feel. Keep in mind that your mood board is just the starting point of your brand identity.
The fonts you select for your mood board may not be the final choices. Small text snippets can appear visually appealing but may not function well in practical applications. Therefore, view your mood board as a springboard for creativity.
You may also need to adjust color selections to better align with your imagery or enhance text readability. Don’t hesitate to experiment with shades and tints of the colors on your board to achieve the desired effect.
Brand mood board examples
The mood board below represents Ayurvedic Mentor, an online health and wellness membership developed by Dr. Sam Watts at Mind Body Medical. The goal was to craft a brand that not only reflects the ancient roots of Ayurveda but also resonates with a sense of familiarity and safety for its audience.
I aimed for a bright and welcoming aesthetic, while also embodying natural warmth. The selected colors, textures, and imagery are designed to evoke a feeling of comfort and connection to nature, inviting members to explore their health and wellness journey with ease and confidence.
The colors are vibrant, while the fonts are kept simple and minimalist to enhance readability. The imagery deliberately shifts focus away from individuals’ faces, fostering a more inclusive atmosphere. This approach allows the brand to resonate with a broader audience, inviting everyone to connect with the principles of Ayurveda and their own wellness journey.
Mood board for personal brand
When I began my career in branding and marketing, I inadvertently crafted a strong personal brand that caught the attention of the directors at the large FTSE 100 company where I worked.
My secret? Leopard print, high heels, boundless ideas, and unwavering confidence.
At that time, I was young, naïve, and bursting with enthusiasm for marketing. During the day, I focused on point-of-sale strategies for our 400+ stores, while at night, I embraced my role as a singer. The confidence I exuded on stage naturally carried over into my daily work.
Admittedly, my choices raised a few eyebrows, but they also brought some much-needed brightness to the grey boardroom, sparking conversations. Even though my 6-inch glitter heels were impractical for the countless steps I took daily, they positioned me front and center when anyone mentioned the 300-strong marketing department. I became known as “the new girl with the shoes.” Influential people remembered me, and because I excelled in my work and was eager to share my ideas, I left a positive impression.
The key to establishing a personal brand is to be distinct and consistent while considering your unique strengths and the value you offer. My style mirrored my energy, creativity, and passion, but yours may look completely different. Think of Steve Jobs, with his minimalist aesthetic of polo necks, jeans, and an unwavering commitment to perfection.
Creating a mood board is an excellent way to visualize your desired brand identity or personal style. If I were to design a personal brand mood board for my 22-year-old self, it would capture the essence of my boldness and individuality.
Journal prompts for creating a personal brand
If you want to create a mood board for your personal brand, start by defining your style inspiration. Consider the following questions to guide your thoughts:
- How would you (or others) describe your vibe?
- What do you want to be known for?
- How do you want people to feel around you?
- What impact do you want to create?
- If you could leave everyone you meet feeling one thing, what would it be?
Creating a personal brand mood board can help you communicate a consistent message for lasting impact. Remember, personal brands, like business brands, grow, change, and evolve over time.
Here’s a mood board I made to inspire my personal brand last year. As you can see, things have changed quite a bit in the last 20 years!
conclusion
In conclusion, crafting a cohesive and beautiful brand hinges on the strategic use of a mood board. This powerful tool not only helps you visualize and articulate your brand’s identity but also serves as a guiding framework for maintaining consistency across all touchpoints. By integrating elements like color palettes, typography, textures, and imagery, a mood board encapsulates the essence of your brand and communicates its personality effectively.
Whether you’re starting a new venture or refreshing an existing brand, investing time in creating a well-thought-out mood board lays the groundwork for a compelling visual narrative. It fosters clarity and alignment among team members and collaborators, ensuring that everyone works toward a unified vision. Ultimately, a thoughtfully crafted mood board can inspire creativity, enhance decision-making, and elevate your brand’s presence in the marketplace, making it a vital component of successful brand development.
