This article has been contributed by Gabe Nelson.

本文由Gabe Nelson撰写。

If you’re like most graphic designers, you hate hearing the phrase, “Just work your magic.”

如果您像大多数平面设计师一样，可能会讨厌听到“只要努力发挥作用”这一短语。

Without some specific guidance or any idea of what a client is looking for — or looking to specifically avoid — you could wind up wasting hours of design time without ever creating anything usable. And simply throwing designs at the wall and hoping some “stick” is probably something you’re not eager to try, or waste your valuable time doing.

如果没有一些特定的指导或对客户正在寻找的东西有任何想法，或者没有明确避免的想法，那么您可能会浪费大量的设计时间，而不会创建任何可用的东西。 只是简单地将设计扔在墙上并希望“坚持”一下，这可能是您不希望尝试的事情，或者浪费了宝贵的时间。

Every web design firm will have different opinions on what they want their logo to look and feel like so there simply is no one-size-fits-all option when it comes to brand identity design. When you need a solution for a solid design right out of the gate, you need to have some idea of what is going to be a winner and what just won’t work.

每个网页设计公司都会对徽标的外观和感觉有不同的看法，因此，在品牌标识设计中根本就没有一个“千篇一律”的选择。 当你需要一个坚实的设计解决方案出了大门，你需要有什么是要成为赢家的一些想法，什么是行不通的。

Asking exploratory questions can be helpful but, when you want some truly inspirational visuals to ensure you’re on the same page as your client, the way to go is to work with them to create a mood board — sometimes known as a Stylescape.

提出探索性问题可能会有所帮助，但是，当您希望获得一些真正鼓舞人心的视觉效果以确保与客户在同一页面上时，解决方法是与他们一起创建一个情绪板-有时被称为Stylescape。

Stop assuming what your client might want and get to work together to define the parameters of what they are looking for with a mood board — sometimes called a vision board. It’s a crucial step.

停止假设客户可能想要的东西，并一起使用情绪板(有时称为视觉板)来定义其所需的参数。 这是至关重要的一步。

Don’t believe how important a mood board is? Here are the ways that a mood board can be a total game-changer and exactly how to go about creating and using one.

不相信情绪板有多重要？ 以下是情绪板可以完全改变游戏规则的方法，以及确切地说明如何创建和使用它。

1.使用情绪板的好处 (1. The Benefits of Using a Mood Board)

Nothing is worse than spending hours of your time working on a logo or brand identity, only to give the client some of your options and hear “Sorry, that’s not really what we were thinking.”

没有什么比花上几个小时来处理徽标或品牌标识更糟糕的了，仅仅是给客户一些选择并听到“对不起，这不是我们真正想的。”

Many clients, even if they don’t realize it, have a solid opinion of what they do and don’t like in design. Using a mood board together gives them an avenue to communicate that to you, and gives you a sound jumping-off point to help your creative discussion.

许多客户即使没有意识到这一点，也对他们在设计中所做的事情和不喜欢的事情抱有坚定的看法。 一起使用情绪板可以为他们提供一条与您进行交流的途径，并为您提供一个出发点，以帮助您进行富有创意的讨论。

Using a mood board for inspiration gets the team on the same page quickly. Once you both have the same idea of the right concept, you’ll be able to get work done with confidence you are on the right path toward designing exactly what your client is looking for. Think of the mood board as a way of brainstorming visually.

使用情绪板进行启发可以使团队快速进入同一页面。 一旦您对正确的概念有了相同的想法，就可以自信地完成工作，并朝着正确设计客户所需的正确路径前进。 将情绪板视为在视觉上集思广益的一种方式。

2.同意创建情绪板的方法 (2. Agree on the Approach to Creating the Mood Board)

Before you even think about putting together a mood board or creating a logo design, it’s essential to agree with your client on an approach to developing one. Discuss with them the benefits of having a mood board. Make sure they gain a solid understanding of how important it will be in terms of creating the best possible brand identity for their brand — efficiently and amicably.

在您甚至考虑将情绪板组装在一起或创建徽标设计之前，必须与您的客户就开发方法达成一致。 与他们讨论使用情绪板的好处。 确保他们对有效和友善地为自己的品牌创造最佳品牌形象方面的重要性有深刻的了解。

If they don’t already have a mood board — which they likely won’t — discuss who will take the lead on developing one.

如果他们还没有情绪板-他们可能不会-讨论谁将带头开发一个情绪板。

Some clients strongly prefer gathering their ideas and inspiration themselves and keeping that private until they’re ready to reveal the mood board to you. Others may wholly appreciate getting some help and creative input from you.

一些客户强烈喜欢收集自己的想法和灵感，并保持私密，直到他们准备向您展示心情板。 其他人可能会完全感谢您的帮助和创意。

If they want to take the lead but they’re not sure where to start, you can guide a client’s mood board creation with suggestions of things that can help you be a more accurate designer. Ask them to include paint chips or colors, quotes or ideas that inspire them or their place of business. If they are a retail business, suggest that they put some of their products or photos of retail spaces on the board as well. The more information you can get, the better.

如果他们想带头但又不确定从哪里开始，则可以通过一些建议来指导客户的情绪板创建，这些建议可以帮助您成为更准确的设计师。 要求他们包括启发他们或他们的营业地点的油漆碎片或颜色，报价或想法。 如果它们是零售企业，则建议他们也将一些产品或零售空间的照片放在板上。 您可以获得的信息越多越好。

If, on the other hand, you are to take the lead on the mood board creation, start with some preliminary research. Without question, research can help create a solid foundation for a high-quality mood board — and guide your design choices before you ever sit down at your computer.

另一方面，如果要带头创建情绪板，请进行一些初步研究。 毫无疑问，研究可以为高质量的情绪板打下坚实的基础-并在您坐在计算机前指导设计选择。

Think about what the client may be looking for. Who is their biggest competition? What is the primary audience? Getting peeks at their interior design and including samples from those choices on the mood board, can help point you towards a design-friendly mood board.

考虑客户可能在寻找什么。 谁是他们最大的竞争对手？ 主要听众是什么？ 窥探他们的室内设计，并从情绪板上选择这些样本，可以帮助您选择易于设计的情绪板。

When you have these insights on a brand it becomes easier to bring solid ideas to mood board creation and guide the design process. Armed with your ideas, meet with your client for their feedback and discuss their ideas.

当您对品牌拥有这些见解时，将扎实的想法引入情绪板创建和指导设计过程就变得更加容易。 武装好您的想法，与客户见面以征求他们的反馈并讨论他们的想法。

3.如何创建心情板 (3. How to Create the Mood Board)

But how do you begin creating a mood board? Mood boards can be created virtually, like on digital sites like Pinterest, or they can be created “old school,” by physically collecting items such as photographs, colors, and fabric samples then mounting them on foam core or tagboard. The idea is to visually display everything as a collection for a birds-eye view of the client’s preferences and big-picture vision.

但是，您如何开始创建情绪板？ 可以像在Pinterest这样的数字网站上一样虚拟创建情绪板，也可以通过物理地收集照片，颜色和织物样本等项目，然后将它们安装在泡沫芯或标牌上来创建“老式”情绪板。 想法是将所有内容可视化地显示为一个集合，以鸟瞰客户的喜好和大视野。

There are also apps that can help your client coordinate mood boards that make sharing easy. It may help to bookmark a few examples of digital mood boards for your client to look at as a model, in case they aren’t quite sure what a mood board is or what to include. Having mockup mood boards at the ready, and even the resulting completed design, can be strongly persuasive ways for clients to swiftly “get” the value of mood boards in delivering the vital information you need as a design professional.

也有一些应用程序可以帮助您的客户协调情绪板​​，从而使共享变得容易。 如果他们不太确定什么是情绪板或要包含什么，则可以为数字化情绪板的一些示例添加书签，以便您的客户将其视为模型。 准备好样机情绪板，甚至完成的设计，都是客户极有说服力的方法，可让客户Swift“获得”情绪板的价值，以提供专业设计人员所需的重要信息。

It’s easy for mood boards to become a messy collage that is more confusing than helpful. But being able to sort through the examples of what your client is envisioning and hoping for can allow you both the benefit of getting on the same page and sharing a creative vision. After all, a mood board is as close as you can get to crawling into someone else’s mind.

情绪板很容易变成混乱的拼贴画，比起帮助而言，更令人困惑。 但是，能够对客户所设想和期望的示例进行排序，可以使您受益于进入同一页面并共享创意视野。 毕竟，一个情绪板离您进入别人的头脑越近越好。

4.实施情绪板 (4. Putting a Mood Board into Action)

Once you have a mood board created, it can be difficult to know how to use it effectively during the brand identity design process. Luckily for you, a mood board already contains visual cues that can help you develop a brand’s important design elements. The leg up you can get from the mood board will help you design accordingly.

一旦创建了一个情绪板，就很难知道如何在品牌标识设计过程中有效地使用它。 对您来说幸运的是，情绪板已经包含视觉提示，可以帮助您开发品牌的重要设计元素。 您可以从情绪板上获得帮助，从而帮助您进行相应的设计。

Also take advantage of the mood board to stay on track as you go. Of course, you should talk to your client about their brand identity wants and needs, but when you’re in the thick of designing and you aren’t sure about something, checking the mood board is a great guide and can even answer a lot of questions you may have.

还可以利用情绪板来保持步调一致。 当然，您应该与客户讨论他们对品牌识别的需求和需求，但是当您处于设计阶段并且不确定某件事时，检查情绪板是一个很好的指南，甚至可以回答很多问题您可能有的问题。

颜色 (Color)

Mood boards are visual mediums that tend to take a very set direction when it comes to color. After all, color sets the mood. Whether a customer wants their business to be wild and passionate with reds, trendy like corals, or calm and serene with blues, a mood board will tell you exactly what a client is thinking. Color can be very important guideline when it comes to the basics of creating on-target design.

情绪板是一种视觉媒介，当涉及到颜色时，它们往往会遵循非常固定的方向。 毕竟， 色彩决定了心情 。 无论客户希望他们的业务是野生，并与红色热情奔放，时尚像珊瑚，或平静和安详与蓝调，心情板会告诉你的客户到底是什么想法。 当涉及到创建目标设计的基础知识时，颜色可能是非常重要的准则。

When you can focus your work on the color palette that shows up on a mood board, you can curate the brand identity or logo design to tap into the best emotions, and curate an excellent color scheme for the business. You don’t have to Pantone color match every part of the mood board, but using it as your starting point will definitely get your creations heading in the right direction with an eye-catching brand identity.

当您将工作重点放在出现在情绪板上的调色板上时，就可以策划品牌标识或徽标设计，以激发最佳情感，并为企业策划出色的配色方案。 您不必使Pantone颜色与情绪板的每个部分都匹配，但是以它为起点绝对可以使您的创作朝着正确的方向前进，并具有醒目的品牌标识。

形状 (Shape)

Most people who aren’t graphic designers don’t think much about the shape of things. In fact, if you asked your client what shape they wanted their logo to be, for example, they may not have any idea. But the mood board will also hold the key to the door of what shape style a client is likely looking for.

大多数不是平面设计师的人对事物的形状考虑得并不多。 实际上，例如，如果您问客户，他们希望他们的徽标是什么形状，他们可能没有任何想法。 但是，情绪板也将把握住客户可能寻找哪种形状样式的大门。

For instance, if the mood board is full of loose, natural elements, an organic shape may be the right choice. Organic-shaped logos may be more irregular or curved with unexpected design. This is in direct contrast with a more mechanical style. If their mood board is all sharp angles, metal, and industrial pictures, you will probably design a more geometric-shaped logo.

例如，如果情绪板充满松散的自然元素，则有机形状可能是正确的选择。 有机形状的徽标可能更不规则或弯曲，具有出乎意料的设计。 这与更机械的风格形成鲜明对比。 如果他们的情绪板都是尖角，金属和工业图片，则您可能会设计出更具几何形状的徽标。

While shape and color are just two of the basic graphic design elements, they are certainly helpful factors to know in creating a winning brand identity. Matching the foundation of the design to the aesthetics of the mood board is just smart design. If you find a client’s mood board to be inconsistent, asking a few clarifying questions should help guide you in making the correct choices.

尽管形状和颜色只是基本的图形设计元素中的两个，但它们无疑是有助于创建成功品牌形象的有用因素。 使设计的基础与情绪板的美观相匹配只是明智的设计。 如果您发现客户的情绪板不一致，请提出一些明确的问题应有助于指导您做出正确的选择。

版式 (Typography)

At the heart of any brand identity or logo design is the typography. While some major brands can pull off being recognized by a simple icon (think Nike swoosh) or specific imagery like Target’s iconic red target, most logos are going to need some sort of typography within them. The key to good typography is to execute the text artistically and within the confines of what a mood board suggests.

字体是任何品牌标识或徽标设计的核心。 虽然一些主要品牌可以通过简单的图标(例如耐克旋风)或特定图像(例如Target的标志性红色目标)来识别，但大多数徽标中都需要某种字体。 好的排版的关键是要在艺术上和在情绪委员会建议的范围内执行文本。

If your client’s mood board is full of quotes in handwritten script, you might want to choose a typeface that follows suit. Then you can have fun with it! Let your own creativity shine as you focus on kerning and text hierarchy in ways that blend the mood board’s tone with excellent graphic design.

如果您客户的情绪板充满了手写脚本中的引号，则您可能希望选择一种适合的字体 。 然后，您就可以开始玩了！ 当您专注于字距调整和文本层次结构时，让自己的创造力大放异彩，将情绪板的音调与出色的图形设计融合在一起。

Rather than shoot in the dark for the design elements you will want to include in your logo design, for example, the mood board will gather the inspiration you need for an easy leap into the perfect concept. Providing early draft options that you know land squarely in the realm of your client’s hopes and dreams (thanks to the mood board direction!) can eventually get you to the finished product faster.

例如，与其在黑暗中拍摄您想要包含在徽标设计中的设计元素，不如说，情调板将收集您所需的灵感，以使您轻松进入完美概念。 提供您知道的早期草稿选项可以完全落在客户的希望和梦想中(感谢情绪板的指示！)最终可以使您更快地进入成品。

5.感受共鸣 (5. Feel the Vibe)

Is your client quirky? Are they playful? You’ll figure out your client’s fundamental nature right away when you have their mood board to use as your creative springboard. A lot of times clients don’t really know how to describe their business or articulate their visions. Often, clients simply request a logo design simply because they are about to open their business and want to check it off their to-do list. The more information you have, the better you can tailor a brand identity that best reflects their preferences.

您的客户古怪吗？ 他们好玩吗？ 当您将客户的情绪板用作创意跳板时，您会立即弄清客户的基本天性。 很多时候，客户并不真正了解如何描述他们的业务或表达他们的愿景。 通常，客户只是因为即将要开张业务并想从待办事项清单中将其标出，就要求徽标设计。 您拥有的信息越多，您就越能更好地定制最能反映他们偏好的品牌形象。

Ultimately, the vibe of the business isn’t going to come from their words alone. In fact, you and your clients may have wildly different takes on the word “country” or “classy,” since there is no one way to design based on one word. Since a mood board is a visual medium, it is going to give you additional, contextual clues where words alone fail so that your graphic design concepts fit in seamlessly with your client’s business.

最终，企业的氛围将不会仅凭他们的话语而来。 实际上，您和您的客户对“国家”或“经典”一词的理解可能截然不同，因为没有一种方法可以基于一个词进行设计。 由于情绪板是一种视觉媒介，它将为您提供其他上下文提示，仅凭单词便会失败，从而使您的图形设计概念与客户的业务无缝融合。

6.承担受过教育的风险 (6. Take Educated Risks)

Every single time you release a design into the world, it’s like putting yourself out there. Sometimes it makes sense to play it safe with design because you know everyone is going to leave pleased. You don’t have to hear any criticism and your client will like their new brand identity. But is a logo they like enough for you?

每次将设计发布到世界上时，就像把自己摆在那儿一样。 有时候，安全地进行设计很有意义，因为您知道每个人都会感到高兴。 您无需听到任何批评，您的客户就会喜欢他们的新品牌标识。 但是他们是否足够喜欢您的徽标？

With a mood board to fall back on, you can take more risks with the individual graphic design elements to push yourself and your client to find the best possible logo for their business. Because you can get a feel not only for their likes and dislikes, a mood board also allows you a deeper glimpse into a client’s personality to drive your creativity and their expectations.

借助情绪公告板，您可以承担单独的图形设计元素带来的更多风险，以推动自己和客户找到最适合自己业务的徽标。 因为您不仅可以感受到他们的好恶，所以情绪板还可以让您更深入地了解客户的个性，从而激发您的创造力和期望。

Offering several different designs for a customer to choose from — from several options that you love — can keep your portfolio reflecting your talent standards. Remember, your work history and samples are why your client chose to work with you in the first place, so there’s no reason you should have to play it safe when you can create the best possible brand identity for them.

为客户提供几种不同的设计供您选择-从您喜欢的多个选项中进行选择-可以使您的产品组合反映出您的人才标准。 请记住，您的工作经历和样本是客户选择与您合作的原因，因此，当您可以为他们创造最佳品牌标识时，没有理由要放心。

7.建立关系 (7. Relationship Building)

Not only is working from a mood board good for the design process, but it is excellent for building a relationship with the client. A mood board is a small piece of them, just like your design will eventually be of you. When both sides are open and honest with each other, your professional relationship will flourish.

从情绪板进行工作不仅对设计过程有益，而且对于与客户建立关系也非常有用。 情绪板是一小片人 ，就像你的设计最终会是你。 双方坦诚相待，您的专业关系将会蓬勃发展。

Mood boards are the perfect way to allow a client to be engaged in the design process without having to look over your shoulder at all times. It’s not a pleasant experience to design for an audience so have your clients focus on their mood board, so you can focus on giving them what they want and creating the perfect designs.

情绪板是让客户参与设计过程的完美方式，而无需一直抬头。 为观众设计不是一种令人愉快的体验，因此让您的客户专注于他们的情绪板，因此您可以专注于为他们提供他们想要的东西并创建完美的设计。

Your customers will certainly be satisfied with the final results when they feel as though they have had some control and personal contribution to the final logo design. Having a mood board is the easiest way to get the feedback you need early and also give you specific guideposts you can use as justification for your finished product.

当您的客户似乎对最终徽标设计有所控制并做出个人贡献时，他们一定会对最终结果感到满意。 拥有情绪板是尽早获得所需反馈的最简单方法，还可以为您提供具体的指南，以作为成品的依据。

A customer who feels heard and is rewarded with a brand identity they love is going to tell their friends, which can help you grow your business and have some great references going forward. If your client ever decides to change their logo or they need other design work done — promotional mailers or branded products, for instance — they are going to come to you because they trust you already.

听到并获得喜欢的品牌标识奖励的客户会告诉他们的朋友，这可以帮助您发展业务并获得一些不错的参考。 如果您的客户决定更改其徽标，或者他们需要完成其他设计工作(例如促销邮件或品牌产品)，那么他们就会来找您，因为他们已经信任您。

结论 (Conclusion)

If you’ve never designed a graphic identity using a client mood board to kick-off your inspiration before, why not give it a try? You’ll be amazed at how much vision a mood board collection can bring to the design process. Being able to answer your own questions with a visual example of what a client likes and is looking for can speed up your overall design time and let you get quality feedback sooner.

如果您以前从未使用过客户情绪板来设计图形标识来激发您的灵感，为什么不尝试一下呢？ 您会惊讶于情绪板系列可以为设计过程带来多少视觉效果。 能够通过视觉上的例子来回答客户的喜好并寻找答案，这可以缩短您的总体设计时间，并让您更快地获得质量反馈。

A mood board can be an excellent way to refine your graphic design based on your client’s wishes. A mood board is a significantly lower investment than multiple designers trying to coordinate, or relying on your client to put their vision into words. Not only with their brand identity benefit but a mood board can also be used by their interior designer, commercial painter, and other professionals who might ultimately contribute to the final success of the business.

情绪板可能是根据客户的意愿改进图形设计的绝佳方法。 与多个试图进行协调或依靠您的客户将其愿景变成文字的设计师相比，情绪板的投资大大降低。 室内设计师，商业画家以及其他可能最终为企业取得最终成功做出贡献的专业人士不仅可以使用商标牌，还可以使用情绪板。

When you’re looking for a way to keep your brand identity concepts fresh and exciting, getting a client’s mood board can be the perfect solution. Mood boards can provide the groundwork for your creative concepts and help you build their brand in a better way. It’s really the strongest foundation for getting from inspired design concept to brand identity completion efficiently.

当您正在寻找一种使品牌标识概念保持新鲜和令人兴奋的方法时，获得客户的情绪留言板可能是理想的解决方案。 情绪板可以为您的创意概念提供基础，并帮助您以更好的方式建立自己的品牌。 这是从灵感设计概念到高效完成品牌形象的最坚实基础。

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About the author: Gabe Nelson works with MAC Art.

关于作者： Gabe Nelson与 MAC Art合作 。