skip to content rich footer

stevenclark.com.au

subscibe to the StevenClark.com.au rss feed

Design Technique 5: Mood Boards

About two years ago Andy Clarke proposed the idea on his blog - inherited in front of the television - that maybe mood boards would be useful as a design tool. Its one of those techniques I instinctively liked because you can simply explain what you want to the client and send them home to do the work - and you get a design artefact you can use! So how do you go about using a design board in your process?

In short its up to your client as its their board. Having seen this technique used you really have to give the client control over what they choose to paste onto it - magazine clippings, material, headings in certain fonts and anything they feel is akin to their taste (watch out for that pasted teddy bear ear with dripping goats blood). There isn’t really a wrong answer on their part.

Key to the process of mood boards is the buy in of the client. They need to feel they have some ownership in the following process (of your work) so you might have to be prepared to compromise a little. Its definately not for everyone or for every job. But it does offer a small window into the clients mind - likes and dislikes - and can open a completely new dialogue. Its more about getting a feel for how they see the world. Plus its actually one thing that a client may just take up.

In some ways the hardest part of responding to a brief is in reacting to what is between the lines. The mood board is of some assistance in that direction.

Articles are licenced under a Creative Commons Licence but copyright of images is retained by © Steven Clark 2007 - 2008

One Response to “Design Technique 5: Mood Boards”

  1. » Blog Archive » Design Technique 8: The Office Wall - StevenClark.com.au

    [...] do you have a corkboard, stickytape, pins or home made glue? That mood board you had made needs to go on the wall and so does your roll of rich pictures. This might be more of [...]

skip to top of page

Currently Reading

Andy Clarke's Transcending CSS: the fine art of web design has been sitting on my bookshelf for several months and I've finally made the time to read it from end to end. My favourite thing about this book from the outset is that it's a designer's book, rather than a technician's manual, for web designers. The artwork and direction in Transcending CSS is enhanced by the attention to detail in the feel and texture of the book itself, the size of it's pages and the feel of the cover in your hands. It's definately a book that affords the act of being read. Looking forward to it.