As a designer, I’m sure you’re familiar with mood boards.
These combinations of inspiration and ideas play a huge part in my Brand Strategy and Creative Direction phase.
I use them to present two proposed design styles to clients, giving them a clear choice in aesthetic direction. This is crucial as it assures them we’re on the same page and makes them feel confident in the proposed style.
But back when I was starting out, I completely misunderstood how mood boards fit into the brand strategy process, (and I still see designers making these same mistakes today).
So let me take you back to my mood board rookie days in the hopes that sharing my experience will help you navigate the mood board world more smoothly.
All the Hype, No Clue
Before I specialised in Brand Design, I was a Graphic Designer. While many of my skills translated, there were times when I felt completely out of my depth.
And to make things even more chaotic, my transition into Brand Design happened during lockdown!
If you were there, you’ll remember: everyone was glued to socials 24/7.
For business owners, it was a whirlwind. People were constantly posting BTS content.
One thing I kept seeing from Brand Designers?
Client Mood Boards.
They looked so polished and professional. I was mesmerised and thought, I need to “do it like them.”
So, the next time a project came my way, I blocked out time to create my first-ever mood board.
I felt like I’d just levelled up from novice to pro in under a minute.
But… when you’re doing for the sake of doing, you’re never going to do it right.
Changes to your process or business should be done with intention and strategy - not just the desire to mimic what others are doing.
At the time, I was so focused on being “as good as the designers who inspired me” that I lost sight of what actually mattered.
Mood Board Mayhem
Creating that first mood board was absolute chaos. (As chaotic as creating a mood board can be anyway)
I didn’t really know what to include, but after seeing other designers’ work on Instagram, I understood that it needed to visually capture the “vibe” of my client’s brand.
To me, that meant pulling together a mix of images, colours, and elements I thought matched their industry.
I paired this with a short overview of the content and sent it to the client…
It went down like a lead balloon.
Well... that definitely didn't go according to plan.
The truth was, I understood her confusion because I was just as lost. What sense did it make to use interior design photos as inspiration for a logo?
The Creative Direction Wasn’t Directioning
Looking back now, I now can see how my mood board didn’t give the client a clear glimpse of her brand’s future. Instead, it confused her with irrelevant elements.
To fix this, I dove deep into research about the brand design process and how mood boards should actually be used.
That’s when I discovered what I’d missed:
A proper Creative Direction phase!
One that focuses on elements that directly influence the Visual Identity, like:
Colours
Font styles
Logo concepts
Image direction
Illustrations
Printed collateral
Now this whole mood board thing made so much more sense. I could finally see the value of this step, especially when it came to avoiding overhaul revision requests later on.
That project was a turning point for me. It pushed me to refine my process and completely rethink how I approach Creative Direction.
But more importantly, it taught me a valuable lesson: when you’re doing something just for the sake of doing it (or just to copy others), you’ll never do it right.
Freebie Time!
Finding and arranging elements for a mood board can eat up hours of your time. Plus, making it all look polished and professional? That’s the last thing you need on your plate.
But I’ve got your back!
I’ve created a Mood Board Presentation Template that’s ready for you to use right away.
You can download it HERE.
Speak soon,
Abi 😊
P.S. If you want to take your strategy and creative direction process one step further, check out my Brand Strategy Kit. It helped Morena, and it can help you too!
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