There must be times when you feel that you have a great idea for a particular brand you use, the café you enjoy your favorite frappacino at, or the organization you work for. But it's always the hardest part to conduct your floating thoughts into an organized code, in other words, concept.
Brand strategy always includes a concept behind it. The colors to be used in all communication forms when the brand interacts with consumers, the typography engaged in every printed/online document handled, or the display units where the products are displayed. Concept is all about - and above - the visual coding of a brand. Lifestyle and the reflection that we - the strategists/designers - desire to empose within that coding should be the output of a unique concept.
So, how can you conduct all these codes into one organized frame? The answer is the Moodboard. A moodboard is the visual outcome of your strategy and ideas. It reflects the sense of the world or concept that you are dreaming to bring to life. Ruling colors, lifestyle visuals, typography and some quotes that describe the feeling of being there are the main variables of an effective Moodboard. I mainly use a moodboard before I start designing my client's brand identity. Before planning the moodboard, I collect all the necessary and strategic information I need that will feed me about the product, the market, existing and potential customers, competitors, where the brand instantly stands and where the brand's owner desires the brand to be. With these inputs in hand, I start to form the strategy that would distinguish my brand from any other brand in the same category or the market.
The next step is the positioning of the brand. In the light of these, I start to form the visual codes that create the brand. This phase takes the most time among others, as combining the strategy with the right look is a very painful process - lots of try and switch attempts until the wee hours of the morning. The minute you feel you have caught the right combination is the point when you feel high. And there you have your idea ready, brought to life in a visual manner.
Brand strategy always includes a concept behind it. The colors to be used in all communication forms when the brand interacts with consumers, the typography engaged in every printed/online document handled, or the display units where the products are displayed. Concept is all about - and above - the visual coding of a brand. Lifestyle and the reflection that we - the strategists/designers - desire to empose within that coding should be the output of a unique concept.
So, how can you conduct all these codes into one organized frame? The answer is the Moodboard. A moodboard is the visual outcome of your strategy and ideas. It reflects the sense of the world or concept that you are dreaming to bring to life. Ruling colors, lifestyle visuals, typography and some quotes that describe the feeling of being there are the main variables of an effective Moodboard. I mainly use a moodboard before I start designing my client's brand identity. Before planning the moodboard, I collect all the necessary and strategic information I need that will feed me about the product, the market, existing and potential customers, competitors, where the brand instantly stands and where the brand's owner desires the brand to be. With these inputs in hand, I start to form the strategy that would distinguish my brand from any other brand in the same category or the market.
The next step is the positioning of the brand. In the light of these, I start to form the visual codes that create the brand. This phase takes the most time among others, as combining the strategy with the right look is a very painful process - lots of try and switch attempts until the wee hours of the morning. The minute you feel you have caught the right combination is the point when you feel high. And there you have your idea ready, brought to life in a visual manner.
