Re: Mood Boards...

Agreed. When we create mood boards for our clients, its not really for artistic expression. 
Its to nail down specific styles and looks that would possibly work for that specific client 
and on that specific project. 

Our Mood Boards, or Style Boards, Tonal/Research Boards usually follow a strict process:
1) Identify current company tone/mood/look and flaws/benefits
2) Identify competition's look - to avoid creating something too similar to them - so you 
are aware of what needs to be done to stand out from them.
3) Locate examples of possible styles that are relevant, including color schemes, type 
treatments, styles of photography, designs with similar tone/audience.
4) group them into a series of choices...

example: Client is an art/poetry cafe
Board A: dark moody color, very moody and gothic photography of beatniks drinking 
lattes, reciting poems, type is serify and textural.

Board B: brighter colors that emphasize a more lively group, photography with odd angles 
and strong solid color backgrounds, type is playful and childlike.

These help you start a conversation with the client about how they would like to be 
represented visually. They aren't about the designer and their personal need for artistic 
expression, but a tool to facilitate a good start into designing a project that the client 
loves and is relevant to the audience. The client can interface with the boards and voice 
opinions on what they hate/love and what works/doesn't for their audience and company 
without offending your design - since its all clippings and examples, you are not 
personally invested in it yet. Although the designer's personal style is going to influence 
the styles chosen, a good designer bases their choices on research and understanding of 
the client, not personal tastes and biases. 

Think of styleboards as that big wall of swatches at the couch store. You browse and pick 
some swatches, see how they look in your living room, ask your family and mates what 
they think and really get to see what works well before they stick it on a couch and bring it 
to your house. 

tab

--- In [email protected], Gunnar Swanson <gunnar@g...> wrote:
> A mood board has a different purpose from that of a collage. George 
> Gross and Hannah Höch weren't trying to communicate aspects of a future 
> state of another project; their work was their work not a hint of what 
> their work would be.
> 
> Gunnar
> 
> On Mar 2, 2005, at 8:46 PM, Michael James Pinto wrote:
> > --- Derick Sumrall <dsumrall@o...> wrote:
> >> At Memphis College of Art, I teach an advanced web design 
> >> seminar/class that
> >> utilizes experience design. In the past few weeks, we¹ve begun 
> >> exploring the
> >> use of mood boards.
> >
> > <rant>
> > Why not call it a "collage" which is the proper art history term?
> >
> > Why not show your class collages by Picasso, Kurt Schwitters,
> > Joseph Cornell and Robert Rauschenberg?
> > </rant>
> ----------
> Gunnar Swanson Design Office
> 536 South Catalina Street
> Ventura California 93001-3625 USA
> 
> +1 805 667-2200
> gunnar@g...
> 
> http://www.gunnarswanson.com





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