Moodboard

A moodboard collects reference before design decisions are made: photographs of buildings and interiors, material samples, color swatches, textures, furniture and sometimes words. Its job is to agree on a feel with the client and the team, not to fix a solution. In interior design it often becomes the basis for a material and finishes schedule; in architecture it tends to appear at concept design stage, alongside massing and early sketches.

Getting it right

• Keep it focused. Ten to twenty well-chosen images say more than fifty, and a narrow palette is easier to act on.
• Group by topic: materials, light, atmosphere, precedent. A reader should understand why each image is there.
• Include real material samples or close-up photos where you can, since a whole building photo hides the texture.
• Note what you do not want as well. A short list of "not this" helps a client articulate taste.
• Revisit it at each stage. Comparing renders against the original board is a simple check that the project has kept its character.

In Rendair

Render to Moodboard works in reverse: it takes a finished render and pulls out a board of the materials, colors and objects in it, which is useful for briefing suppliers or an interior designer. A board can also go the other way, guiding a new render through Style Transfer. A style preset sets the overall look of a run, while a moodboard carries the specific materials and palette.