The first step to creating a killer brand is to make a mood board. It’s one of the most fun parts of the design process, but it can also be one of the most frustrating. You have a huge, sparkly vision for what you want your personal brand to be; how can you condense that into a set of 15 images?!
I get questions from clients daily asking how to create their mood board, what it should include, and how that really translates to how their audience will receive their brand. Today I’m putting together a list of some of my top mood board tips to create your perfect brand.
It Should Make you Feel Something Rather than Being Niche-specific.
For example, if you’re a makeup artist, it would be really easy to throw together some images of makeup brushes, palettes, and eye looks and call it a day. While it’s okay to incorporate these things in moderation, that don’t say much about your brand and why it’s different than other makeup artists out there. Rather than being literal with what your content or product is, focus on colors, textures, and the emotions you want the brand to evoke. How would you want someone to feel after following one of your tutorials? Glamorous? Confident? Glowing? What images show that emotion? A good designer will be able to translate these emotions into your branding, drawing in your ideal audience member or client!
Pinterest is your Friend
As fun as it was to cut pictures out of magazines and tape them to a poster board in 2005, Pinterest is probably the best place to create a mood board today, Not only does it offer beautifully curated content from people who are already successful in the online space, it also allows you to see all of your photos in one place, and add or remove ones that don’t seem to “fit” with ease.
Keep it to 15-20 Photos
It’s tempting to have 100+ photos when you want your brand to do and be so much. Narrowing your mood board down to 15-20 photos make sure you’re really dialing in on what’s important to you and your brand. It also helps your designer pick out common colors, textures, and themes to use in your designs!
Include Examples of Typography you Like
Including examples of different fonts you like will help your designer to pick out something similar from his or her collection to use in your logo!
Use Color Theory
Color theory is the incorporation of psychology to evoke certain emotions. For example, blues tend to evoke a feeling of calm and authority, while yellows make people feel more carefree and happy. If you want the full lowdown on color theory and how it can help you and your brand, grab my FREE Branding Guide here!
Mood Board Examples
Here are some examples of mood boards from some of my clients in case you need a little extra inspo!
