moodboard

A moodboard is a collage of images, colors, textures and words that captures the look or feeling you’re going for, whether that’s a room makeover, a brand, a wedding or your personal style.

What moodboard means

Designers use mood boards to show a style before anything gets made. Wikipedia lists graphic, interior and industrial designers, photographers and interface designers among the people who rely on them. They can be physical, pinned to a corkboard, or digital, built on Pinterest or in a design app.

Online, moodboards have spread far beyond design. People make them for the vibe they want their bedroom or wardrobe to have, for a fictional character, for a season, or for an aesthetic they’re trying to live in.

Examples

• “I made a moodboard for my bedroom: sage green, linen, warm light.”
• “Send me your wedding moodboard and I’ll match the flowers.”
• “This photo is going straight on my autumn moodboard.”

Where it came from

Mood plus board. It began as a professional design tool and turned into a hobby of its own once people started sharing aesthetic collages online. You’ll see it written moodboard or mood board.

Related terms

• Cottagecore: cozy, rural, slow living.
• Clean girl aesthetic: polished, minimal, glowy.
• Dark academia: moody and bookish.
• Vibe: the mood of something.

More looks with names are in our aesthetics guide.