Ultimate Guide on How to Create a Fashion Mood Board Online

Generating and managing ideas that originate from trends is something that requires a systemic approach. That is exactly where a fashion mood board comes in. Mood boards in fashion are an integral part of the fashion design process.

They help designers maintain focus on their style and aesthetics. A mood board in fashion contains anything and everything a designer is inspired by but in a systematic manner. They also help visualize concepts with ease. In this article, we’ll walk you through the different types of fashion mood boards and all you need to know about how to create a fashion mood board.

Table of Contents

What Is a Fashion Mood Board

Types of Fashion Design Mood Board

Applications of Fashion Mood Boards

How to Make a Fashion Mood Board Online

Physical or Digital Fashion Mood Boards

A mood board, in general, can be thought of as a tool used to collect and communicate ideas or concepts. The underlying fundamental behind a mood board is it conveys the overall appearance, style, and feel of a particular project. Mood boards are generally created at the beginning of a project and are great for aligning the team’s vision.

A fashion mood board is something that the internet has needlessly complicated. To keep it simple, a mood board in fashion is a collage of ideas, can be present everywhere, including online whiteboard, drawing boards or others. Think of it like a visual summary. One that has objects, materials, and images and helps designers remain focused and consistent.

A fashion design mood board is essential to the fashion and textile industry as it can help brainstorm ideas or style an upcoming photoshoot. Therefore, it is important to have an in-depth understanding of all the different types of fashion mood boards.

Trend-based mood boards

Fashion trends are influenced by many factors, including celebrity choices, cultural preferences, and creativity. Therefore, a trend-based mood board would include ideas and material that serve as a reference to these factors.

Seasonal mood boards

We all know that fashion choices tend to change with different seasons. A seasonal mood board on some mood board apps, therefore, includes design concepts and materials suitable for each season.

Collection-specific mood boards

A person’s collection includes objects and materials from different seasons, trends and even eras. A collection mood board app compiles all the different objects and materials and presents them in a way that truly communicates what the designer feels.

Brand identity mood boards

Brand identity refers to the visible elements brands use to build a perception in the customer's mind. A mood board based on brand identity would include ideas and materials using a specific brand's colors, tone, and other design elements.

Inspiration mood boards

An inspiration mood board basically contains objects, designs, and materials that serve as a reference to what the designer is or was inspired by. Using inspiration mood boards can help communicate the vision behind a designer’s fashion and textile products.

Client-specific mood boards

Professionals in the fashion and textile industry can not have a generalized approach to their design. A client-specific mood board is one that includes design elements and materials that are specific to one particular client.

You probably have a general understanding of what a mood board in fashion is used for and are eager to create your own. However, before we dive into it, let's look at some possible applications of a professional fashion mood board.

Design Inspiration

A fashion mood board acts as a brain dump mechanism. It allows designers to visualize all things running in their heads. Doing so can help them see what they are thinking and can be used for inspiration. 

Communication

Designs in the fashion and textile industry are made with several things, including colors, textures, and materials. A mood board encompasses all these elements and can help designers clearly communicate their vision and showcase design elements.

Branding

Brands in the fashion industry need to resonate with the customers’ personalities to be successful. Ensuring such a connection is a complex challenge due to the number of branding elements involved. A mood board is a systemic approach that can be used to categorize these elements and make branding easier.

Marketing and Advertising

Whether physical or online, marketing and advertising require different design elements and visuals. Using a mood board in fashion can help keep track of these elements and visuals, plus it can make the process of promoting a brand much easier.

Trend Analysis

As mentioned, trends can be influenced by a number of factors. Such factors are often dynamic in nature, and analyzing them is quite challenging. However, using a mood board in fashion can help consider all the factors cohesively and makes trend analysis easier.

Production Process

This is one of the most important use cases of a mood board in fashion. The production process is where all the brainstorming happens. A mood board can help designers showcase all their ideas. This makes finalizing a design concept easier and can help make the production process more efficient.

You can create a fashion mood board online within a matter of minutes; all it takes is a couple of clicks. So, with that in mind, let’s look at how to make a fashion mood board.

If you are looking for detailed how to make a mood board guide, you can check this >>

Step 1: Gather Inspiration

Some might think that true inspiration is worth the wait, but using online resources can help speed up the process. You can hop on the internet and look at some vintage outfits, stock images, or catwalk images for inspiration.

Step 2: Use the Best Fashion Mood Board Creator

Once you’re inspired, you must find the right tools for the job. MioCreate is an online whiteboard that is built for designers like you. It allows you to communicate your vision, create fashion mood boards, and has great features like cloud storage, voice chat, and exclusive design templates.

Step 3: Upload Design Elements

Now is time to upload your design elements. These elements may include images or any other graphics you want to include in your fashion mood board.

Step 4: Choose a Color Scheme

The next step to creating a fashion mood board online is to choose a color scheme that best represents your vision. However, it’s important to remember that the color scheme you chose should resonate with images and graphic elements.

Step 5: Customize Your Fashion Mood Board

Now, you can begin customizing your fashion mood board. MioCreate allows you access to a number of editing tools. It provides a seamless experience as you give the fashion design mood board your own touch by adding textures and dimensions.

Step 6: Share Your Fashion Mood Board

Lastly, it is time to share it with other collaborators to see interesting possibilities. If you are satisfied with your design, share it with your clients and see how they react.

A physical mood board can be a notepad, online whiteboard, or anything in between. Whereas a digital mood board is either an online or installed software operating on a desktop or mobile device.

Physical Mood Board

One of the many pros of physical fashion mood board is that it can be more affordable. However, a drawback is that it will be limited in terms of use. In addition, it can also limit collaboration and creativity.

Digital Mood Board

A major advantage of a digital fashion mood board is that it can be endlessly versatile, allowing you to create numerous designs. However, a drawback is that it may have a learning curve for those who prefer a hands-on approach.

One might not necessarily be better than the other, but each has its own pros and cons. A physical mood board may be better for those who prefer a hands-on approach, whereas those who are tech-savvy might resort to a digital one. So, there isn’t really a one size fits all approach.

The Bottom Line

A fashion mood board basically helps systematically visualize fashion ideas. It acts as a brain dump for designers allowing them to break free of a rut and unleash their creative potential. It can be used for marketing and advertising, branding, trend analysis, design inspiration, and more.

Those interested in creating mood boards of their own can use MioCreate to do so. It is an online tool that allows designers like you to upload images and graphic elements, choose color schemes, and create mood boards. Reach out to us and learn more about how to make a fashion mood board with MioCreate.