I have a trophy proudly displayed in my office that reads, “Best Mood Board Maker.” It was a silly thank you sent to me from an art direction client, but I’m proud of it nonetheless. Making mood boards has always been something I’ve loved. In middle school, I created a collage from fashion magazines and turned it into my birthday party invitation. My dad often said I needed to find a career in “making collages.” Too bad we weren’t aware of graphic design back in those days. Although, you don’t need to be an art director or a designer to make an epic mood board. I don’t have stacks of magazines to sift through and I don’t even own Photoshop. So how do I make my mood boards? Let’s break it down.
Set the mood
The very first step is to set your mood. This is dependent on what you’re making a mood board for. For the one shared above, I went with “cheery, spring isolation” vibes, which is a very weird title but it makes sense to me. I stuck with warm tones of yellows, pinks and blues. You don’t have to stick to a color scheme, but it helps to bring the idea to life and ties everything together.
Pick your canvas
If you want to make a mood board from magazine cuttings, that’s awesome. However, I’m guessing most of you don’t have a ton to choose from. Likewise, unless you work in design or photography, you probably don’t have Photoshop or don’t have a clue how to use it. I usually use Canva (which is what we use for all of our graphics on Glitter Guide). Canva is an amazing tool for design newbies. I used it to make the collage shared above. It’s super easy and it has a ton of great tools. You can try the free version, or for a small monthly fee, you can get extra tools.
Many times, I don’t even use Canva and I just make my mood boards on Pinterest. You can create secret boards and share them with people. It’s such an easy and simple way for you to collaborate on a project.
Often I will just pin everything that evokes the mood of what I’m working on to the board. I screenshot it and crop it if I want to turn it into an actual mood board.
If my project needs a lot of specific ideas. I will break them into categories. This is helpful when you’re working with a team of graphic designers, stylists and photographers. It allows your homepage board to be an overall vibe, but then you can share those specific items to the team.
Mix it up
When you’re choosing items for a mood board, it’s a good idea to mix up the imagery. For example, incorporate typography portraits, interiors, art, etc. It’s more visually appealing than having everything feel very flat and similar. Don’t be afraid to manipulate the images, too. I crop them much smaller and I take things out I don’t want. Play around with it and wait for it to work its magic in front of you.
Think big picture
For me, vibes are crucial to every project. It doesn’t matter what the project is, I want to know the colors, the feel, the soundtrack, the wardrobe, the feeling it’s meant to evoke. I plan out a lot of details before we start actually creating. Improvisation is welcome during the creating process, but I like to go into it with a very clear idea of what we’re trying to express. Maybe you’re not working on a mood board for a project. Maybe it’s just for you to enjoy at your desk. That’s awesome, but still, try to think of the big picture and it will help turn your ideas into something more meaningful.
Most importantly, have fun!
