mood board

American  

[mood bawrd] / ˈmud ˌbɔrd /

noun

1. a collage of various items, as scenic snapshots, song lyrics, and mementos, used to evoke a desired feeling, style, or ambience for a project or event, and often fashioned as a starting point from which to create an inspiration board.

   The wedding planner helped us put together a mood board, which set the whole tone for our reception.

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mood board British  

noun

1. a board used by designers on which samples of various colours and textures are mounted to help in deciding which elements complement each other

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Etymology

Origin of mood board

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

I came in with a loose mood board, a few traditional pose ideas alongside some comedic “scenarios” that had a 50/50 chance of making it to my memory cards.

From Los Angeles Times

There’s a whiteboard with a set list behind the sofa, and they share some “mood board” phrases written for the creation of “Trash Classic.”

From Los Angeles Times

What’s on the mood board for “Vanity”? What were you listening to and thinking about?

From Los Angeles Times

But that record operated with textures best found in dark basements and sweaty alleyways; this one is brighter, crafted from a mood board of mid-2000s club hits and John Waters movies.

From Los Angeles Times

He likes to sketch his ideas once an all-important mood board has been created.

From BBC