Designer at a coffee shop changed my mind about moodboards

Saw this guy at a cafe in Austin sketching out a massive collage on his iPad. He said moodboards are just "visual anchors, not contracts" and I've stopped overthinking them since.

2 comments

2 Comments

zarak181d ago

Yeah, do you ever show them a version that's like 70% done and leave some obvious holes? Forces them to actually talk through what they want instead of just nodding at a pretty picture.

keith_henderson1d ago

Huh, that's an interesting way to put it. So when you're working with a client, do you find it helps to show them a moodboard that's intentionally a little rough around the edges? I've always wondered if a too-polished moodboard can set up the wrong expectations for something that's still being figured out.