When you start a website or design project with Fireside, one of the first creative steps is putting together a mood board and reviewing it with you. It’s our way of making sure we’re all aligned on the the look, feel, and personality we’re aiming for, before diving into full design.
So, What Is a Mood Board?
A mood board is a curated collection of visual examples that represent the design direction we’re aiming for. It might include:
- Example website layouts and styles
- Design elements (buttons, fonts, icons, etc.)
- Imagery and photography style
- Color palettes or textures
- Any other design inspiration that helps tell the visual story
It’s not your site design — it’s the vibe before the visuals. A mood board helps turn abstract words like modern, clean, or warm into something tangible.
Why It Matters
Design is subjective, and words can mean different things to different people. You might say “clean and modern,” and we hear “minimalist and monochrome,” while you actually meant “bright and energetic.” Happens all the time. A mood board gives us a shared visual language early in the process, so we’re building in the right direction from day one.
It helps:
- Clarify design preferences
- Align our creative team with your brand
- Speed up the revision process by reducing guesswork
- Figure out what direction feels right — and which directions to avoid.
We create the mood board based on your brand, your goals, and any examples you share — and then use it to guide the full design phase.
In Short
Mood boards help us align with you on a shared vision — before we start designing. It’s a low-effort, high-impact step that makes the whole project smoother, faster, and way more aligned.
