Re: Mood Boards...

At Cooper, we have developed a similar tool called a "Visual 
Language Study." Its primary purpose is to begin a discussion about 
visual design early in an engagement, BEFORE we have tangible 
interaction design to leverage. 

We use the studies to moderate a discussion about raw visual 
language (color, type, image, etc.) at the strategic level, divorced 
entirely from any specific behaviors. We normally develop a 
reasonably generic set of elements that look believable as an 
interface, but not like any specific interface. This generic 
interface is then cropped to further protect it from looking like 
any specific screen. Often we'll have a pair of "swatches," where 
one will be more representative of a high level, brand focused view 
and one will be a lower level, data intensive view.

The overall focus of the presentation tends to be on the first 5 
second experience... we ask questions like "does it look like it's a 
CLIENTNAME product?" and "does it feel like this specific product 
should?" We match the studies against a set of keywords, typically 
derived from our research and existing brand standards to explore 
various strategic directions.

The studies also tend to serve the purpose of helping our clients 
distinguish between the concepts of interaction design and visual 
design, which often become conflated.

What a visual language study is not good for is talking about how 
visual design will clarify and extend specified interaction design. 
We find that is better served later in the engagement with a 
different set of tools.

--
Nate

--- In [email protected], "Tabitha Holmquist" 
<t_holmquist@h...> wrote:
> 
> 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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