So what should be on your mood boards? Anything that g­­ets your creative point across. This can include colors, typography, imagery, illustrations, white space (or lack thereof), and messaging. If you are working with a content strategist or copywriter, we highly suggest adding taglines, slogans, brand attributes (adjectives), or a vision statement. This helps the client to not only visualize the proposed style, but to see how the verbiage can support the overall experience.  Sometimes we even take it a step further and add atmospherics that engage other senses as well, like smell, touch and hearing . By introducing more tactile elements like texture, music or scent, you can envelope the participants in a full sensory experience.

Mood boards can be extremely helpful when you’re searching for an overall tone or visual language, but they can also expedite the approval of a creative direction before heading into interface design. In the past, we have noticed that separating initial creative ideas from the mechanics of the site allows the client to make clear and concise design decisions without impacting time or budget.

There are a few things to keep in mind when creating mood boards.

• Choose an orientation that best fits the subject matter.
• Take into account the audience and how you’ll be presenting to them. Your mood boards can be digital or printed (or both) depending on whether your meeting is virtual or in person.
• Try and create boards that use similar elements. For instance, if one board includes brand attributes and color swatches, be sure that the other options do as well. This creates points of comparison that can aid in decision making. It’s always easier to compare apples to apples.
• And finally, have fun. Creating mood boards is not a rigidly define activity.  Use whatever pieces you can to express your vision, whether it is cutting and pasting magazine bits to Gatorboard or adding minute details and a custom polish to every serif.

Mood board examples:

The PixelMEDIA award provides a complete set of strategy, design, and development services, valued at approximately $50,000, to the first- and second-place winners as well as to a third entry selected by PixelMEDIA. Scheduled to be launched by the end of the summer, each recipient will have new tools to assist with bringing the winning plans and products to market.

According to Dan Innis, the Dean of the Whittemore School of Business and Economics, “The Holloway competition is a great opportunity for our students to present their ideas to a panel of experienced business people. Their input helps the students improve the work they have done. We’re excited to have PixelMEDIA as a partner in the Holloway competition. PixelMEDIA’s support of the student’s web marketing needs will enable the students to communicate and market their products and ideas to investors and companies.”

This year’s first place winner was PhD candidate Christopher Suprock of Suprock Technologies. His product, the Wireless Sensor Integrated Metal Cutting Tool Holder, combines metal cutting tools and wireless sensors and enables customers to solve complex machining problems and manufacture parts more quickly and safely. The second-place prize was awarded to Whittemore School students Jason Norton, Michelle Pirro, and Cole Connolly for ComposiMold, a reusable mold-making material derived from a safe, natural polymer designed for at-home crafters, artists, and artisans.

In addition to the winning entries, PixelMEDIA chose the work of graduate student Alexander Shyrokov as the third recipient of the PixelMEDIA Award. Shyrokov’s project, the Software Skydiving Simulator, is a PC-based training tool that can be used by individuals at all experience levels, from the person about to make their first jump to the skilled jumper who wants to experiment with more intricate and expensive jumps.

The PixelMEDIA Web Marketing Services Award was established to provide a professional set of web marketing tools to future business leaders and groundbreaking not-for-profit organizations. The award offers full strategy, design and development services as well as professional consulting and channel guidance.

PixelMEDIA cofounder and CEO Erik Dodier participated in the judging, and co-founder Thomas Obrey will provide strategy and oversight of the three initiatives. “Everyone at PixelMEDIA is looking forward to working with the Holloway prize winners,” says Obrey, “It gives us a chance to support some amazing ideas and talented students, but also all the great work UNH and the Whittemore School do to build our economy and community.”