The Theory Behind Mood Board for Web Design
A mood board is a document that displays a designer's inspiration prior to beginning work on a website. Color samples, textures, photographic styles and typefaces work together to convey the designer's flavor and thought process while providing a starting point on which to build the final product. Both client and designer can benefit from working with a mood board prior to beginning the time-consuming process of building a website.
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Simplify the Design Process
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Selecting the design elements for a website can be an overwhelming process. The designer's head can swim with too many ideas, or -- worse -- he can draw a blank. The architecture and construction of the site can compound the problem and get in the way of visualizing the design. One advantage to creating a mood board is that it can funnel the designer's vision and allow the client to visually map out the look and feel of the site without being distracted by form and function. In theory, the mood board and the finished website share the same aesthetic touch.
Explore Emotions
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Brand perception, experience and promise are key components of a consumer's response to a product. In a 2004 case study for the Fourth International Conference on Design, researchers at Ohio State University found that brands are perceived and felt on an emotional level; therefore, it's important for designers and marketers to understand what compels consumers to purchase a product or service. For example, if you are trying to convey cool and calm, select imagery that best depicts that mood. Through photographs, colors and images mood boards can help designers get in touch with the emotions that are behind the product for which they are designing.
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Cut Costs
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Web design is a time-intensive discipline; it's not economically practical to present the actual website to the client before style choices are determined and approved. The use of a mood board can help jump start the process quickly and offer design options from which the client can make revisions as needed. The theory is that the mood board can circumvent design issues that may alter the architecture and function of the website down the road.
Clarify Goals and Assist Communication
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The client can clarify goals quickly with a well-designed mood board. Where words may often fail, mood boards have value in building both communication and inspiration during the design process, according to a 2009 study completed by Cardiff University, School of Engineering. The study also found that having a mutual visual understanding of the design and concept of the website can assist communication between team members working together on the project. This is especially true if individuals in the team have varied backgrounds and cultures.
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