Mood board

A mood board is a type of collage consisting of images, text, and samples of objects in a composition. It can be based upon a set topic or can be any material chosen at random. A mood board can be used to give a general idea of a topic that you were given, or can be used to show how different something is from the modern day. They may be physical or digital, and can be "extremely effective" presentation tools.

Graphic designers, interior designers, industrial designers, photographers and other creative artists use mood boards to visually illustrate the style they wish to pursue. However, they can also be used by design professionals to visually explain a certain style of writing, or an imaginary setting for a storyline. In short, mood boards are not limited to visual subjects, but serve as a visual tool to quickly inform others of the overall "feel" (or "flow") of an idea. In creative processes, mood boards can balance coordination and creative freedom.

Traditionally, mood boards are made from foam board which can be cut up with a scalpel and can also have spray mounted cut-outs put onto it. Creating mood boards in a digital form may be easier and quicker, especially when it comes to collaboration or modification of projects, but physical objects often tend to have a higher impact on people because of the more complete palette of sensations physical mood boards offer, in contrast with the digital mood boards. Mood boards can also be painted.

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Wikipedia