Creating a mood board is a crucial part of any brand design project. Mood boards can help you to define and communicate your brand identity. It helps to guide the rest of your design process by setting the tone for your brand and establishing its visual identity. In this post, I will explain step by step how to create your very own mood board for your own brand, or for a client.
Step One: Determine the 3-5 adjectives that best describe the brand
Before you begin searching the internet for photos for your mood board, you first should take a moment to think about who your audience is and how you want them to perceive your brand. I like to think of 3-5 keywords that describe the brand. These words will help you in selecting the appropriate images to attract your ideal audience.
Examples of brand adjectives: bold, calm, chic, dynamic, modern, organic, playful, reliable, sleek, timeless, trustworthy
Step Two: Look for images
Looking for the images to use in your mood board can be a fun, yet time-consuming process. When looking for images, be sure to keep your brand adjectives in mind, and try to select photos with similar colors or themes to make your board cohesive. My favorite place to find images is Pinterest. I have created a board to help give you inspiration which can be accessed here.
It’s important to note that if you do use images found on Pinterest in your mood board that you should not post it on social media or your website without permission from the original owner. I love to share my mood boards on social media which is why I use free stock images from websites like Unsplash and Pexels. Both of these sites have thousands of free photos that can be used commercially and without attribution meaning you do not have to credit the owner.
Step Three: Arrange your images
Once you have curated some photos, it is time to arrange them into your mood board! I use Adobe Illustrator to make my mood boards but there are plenty of other programs and softwares to choose from. Some other favorites are Adobe InDesign and Canva. I spend quite a bit of time rearranging my images and experimenting with different layouts until I get a result that I like.
Since creating a mood board can take a lot of time, I am providing five free mood board templates that can be used on Adobe Illustrator. All you have to do is click the link below to get your free templates and start creating your brand mood board!
Step Four: Pick your color palette
When creating my mood boards, I also like to come up with the brand’s color palette. I do this by picking out the colors that repeatedly appear in my images, then adjusting them to my liking. These colors are what you will later use to design your logo, website, social media graphics, and other brand elements.
Throughout my branding process, I like to keep my completed mood board handy to ensure that the rest of my brand’s visuals are consistent.
Don’t forget your free download! If you create your own mood board following these steps, be sure to tag me @amyljaylen on Instagram!
