mood board
Visual inspiration collection
A mood board is a collage of images, colors, textures, and other visual elements assembled to convey the aesthetic direction or emotional tone of a creative project.
Designers, photographers, and filmmakers use mood boards to establish style before production begins: She put together a mood board for the wedding.
The term has spread from professional design to personal aesthetics on social media.
Removed sections, often decorative
- clippingsPieces cut off
- magazineBound periodical with articles
- photographsLight-captured images
- swatchesSmall material samples
fabric · samples · montage · scrapbook · assemblage · patchwork · decoupage · layout
Abstract mental construct
- themeCentral recurring concept
- schemeCalculated strategy, often secretive
- colorwayDesignated color combination offered
- motifRecurring thematic element
composition · layout · balance · contrast · harmony · reference · tone · texture
Intuitive sense of mood
- paletteSurface for mixing pigments
- ambianceMood of surroundings
- styleDistinctive way of expression
- minimalismAesthetic of reduction
bohemian · rustic · vintage · retro · modern · sleek · chic · glamour
Source of creative impulse
- brainstormingGenerating many ideas freely
- conceptualizeForm a mental picture
- envisioningForming mental pictures
- sketchingMaking rough drawings
drafting · planning · exploring · ideas · vision · creative process · visual thinking · storyboarding
cutouts
Removed sections, often decorative
- clippingsPieces cut off
- magazineBound periodical with articles
- photographsLight-captured images
swatches · fabric · samples · montage · scrapbook · assemblage · patchwork · decoupage · layout · arrangement
concept
Abstract mental construct
- themeCentral recurring concept
- schemeCalculated strategy, often secretive
- colorwayDesignated color combination offered
motif · composition · layout · balance · contrast · harmony · reference · tone · texture · typography
vibe
Intuitive sense of mood
minimalism · bohemian · rustic · vintage · retro · modern · sleek · chic · glamour · luxury
inspiration
Source of creative impulse
- brainstormingGenerating many ideas freely
- conceptualizeForm a mental picture
- envisioningForming mental pictures
sketching · drafting · planning · exploring · ideas · vision · creative process · visual thinking · storyboarding · thumbnails
- graphic designlogo, font, typography, layout, color
- graphicsvector, shapes, 3D graphics, raster, symbols
- book culturereading, reader, book lover, bookworm, bibliophile
- brandingbrand identity, brand, brand equity, taglines, logos
- creative processimagination, brainstorming, inspiration, drafting, editing
- Design Inspirationdesign magazine, architecture, HGTV, fashion, design show
mood boardtechnical specifications
Documented product parameters
blueprint · schematic · spreadsheet · creative brief · bullet points