The Bad-Mood Board

Do you have a love/hate relationship with mood boards for exhibition projects? I do. Because almost everyone only uses them halfway.

You’ve either made one or seen one. It’s a visual collection of precedents. People once made actual boards, with photographs pinned on. Now there is Pinterest, an infinite version.

Mood boards are a good way to start, but not to finish — unless we add a simple second step. Because if our mood board becomes our design, we are repeating history. Past images are past images. Shouldn’t our job be making something new?

I prefer a bad-mood board.

It’s identical to a normal one, except for that one extra word in the title, and the way you use it. Collect all the visual precedent you can. Present it to the entire team.

Then tell everyone to make something that is not on it.

Here’s the thing:
A mood board is a recipe for imitation. Call it a bad-mood board instead, and add that second step. Now it will guide you somewhere new.

Warmly,
Jonathan