Debate: Do mood boards actually save time or just add extra steps to a project?

I used to spend 2 days curating mood boards for branding projects in Denver until I jumped straight into sketching for a logo last month and finished the whole thing in 3 hours, so which side are you on, do you sketch first or mood board first?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_piper14d ago

Mood boards are useful for clients who need help visualizing direction but they're a waste of time if you already know what you're doing. I skip them for personal projects and go straight to thumbnails. For client work though, mood boards serve as a safety net so you don't waste hours sketching in the wrong direction. The trick is limiting yourself to 30 minutes on the mood board and pulling only 5-8 reference images. If you're spending two days on one, that's not a mood board, that's procrastination dressed up as research. Sketching first makes sense when you have a clear vision, mood boards matter more when you're still figuring out the vibe.

holly_flores7913d ago

Honestly, that bit about "procrastination dressed up as research" hit hard. My buddy spent three days on a mood board for a logo once, kept saying it was "finding the vibe" but really he was just scared to start sketching. @the_piper is right, you gotta set a timer and move on.