How can you use mood boards and sketches to improve your commercial design communication?

1 What are mood boards and sketches?

Mood boards and sketches are two common visual tools that commercial designers use to communicate their design ideas. A mood board is a collection of images, colors, textures, fonts, and other elements that represent the style, mood, and atmosphere of your design concept. A sketch is a rough drawing that shows the layout, structure, and features of your design concept. Both mood boards and sketches help you to explore and express your creative vision, as well as to share it with your clients.

2 Why use mood boards and sketches?

Using mood boards and sketches can improve your commercial design communication in several ways. First, they can help you to clarify your design brief and understand your client's needs, preferences, and expectations. By creating mood boards and sketches, you can test different ideas and approaches, and see what works and what doesn't. Second, they can help you to present your design ideas in a more engaging and persuasive way. By showing mood boards and sketches, you can show your client how your design concept will look and feel, and how it will meet their goals and solve their problems. Third, they can help you to get feedback and collaboration from your client. By sharing mood boards and sketches, you can invite your client to comment, suggest, and participate in the design process, and build trust and rapport.

3 How to create mood boards and sketches?

Creating mood boards and sketches is not a difficult or time-consuming task, but it does require some planning and preparation. To create effective mood boards and sketches for your commercial design communication, begin by researching your client, their industry, target audience, competitors, and design preferences. You can use online tools, surveys, interviews, or focus groups to gather relevant information. Then you should define your design concept - the main idea or message you want to communicate - with a single word, phrase, or sentence. Next, collect visual elements that match your design concept and reflect your client's brand identity and personality. Utilize online platforms, magazines, books, or other sources to find images, colors, textures, fonts, and other elements that suit your design concept. You can also create your own elements if you want. After collecting enough visual elements, arrange them on a board or digital platform in different formats such as grids, collages, or clusters. Edit the mood board by adding, removing, or adjusting elements to make sure it is coherent and consistent. Then draw your sketch - a rough representation of your design concept - using paper, pencils, markers, or digital tools. Don't be too detailed or accurate but show the main features and elements of your design concept. Lastly refine the sketch by adding, removing, or changing features and elements to make sure it is clear and attractive.

4 How to present mood boards and sketches?

Presenting mood boards and sketches is a vital part of your commercial design communication, as it is the opportunity to share your design ideas with your client and receive their feedback. Before presenting, you should prepare your presentation, rehearsing your speech, preparing your slides, and checking your equipment. Additionally, consider the audience's level of knowledge, expectations, and questions. When presenting, explain your design concept by stating the main idea or message that you want to communicate with your design and how it meets the client's goals and solves their problems. Show the visual elements that represent your design concept and how they relate to each other; also demonstrate how your mood board and sketch convey the style, mood, and atmosphere of your design concept. Lastly, ask for feedback and collaboration from the client by inviting them to comment, suggest, and participate in the design process. Listen to their feedback, answer their questions, and address their concerns.

5 How to improve mood boards and sketches?

Improving mood boards and sketches is an ongoing part of your commercial design communication, as it is the process of refining and developing your design ideas based on client feedback and collaboration. After presenting your mood boards and sketches, you need to review your feedback, summarizing the main points, identifying the strengths and weaknesses, and prioritizing the changes. You should also clarify any doubts or misunderstandings with your client. Based on the feedback, you should update your mood board and sketch by adding, removing, or adjusting visual elements and features to make sure they match client needs, preferences, and expectations. Additionally, ensure that they are still coherent, consistent, and appealing. Depending on the scope and complexity of the project, you may need to repeat this process of creating, presenting, and improving mood boards and sketches multiple times until both you and the client are satisfied with the final design concept.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?