A mood board is the term we use for an inspirational collection of content showing the visual style for a website. This includes the colour palette, images, icons, fonts, etc. When starting to work on a new project it is helpful to first start with a mood board to ensure that the designer is on the same page as the client before starting the full structural design process.
Mood Board by Diffusion Digital
Depending on your project, mood boards should include:
Images: Brand images, stock photography, product images, inspiration, etc.
Colors: Brand colour swatches, extended colour palettes, accessible color options, etc.
Fonts: The different font choices along with the different weight options
Textures: Any patterns or shapes that will be incorporated
Layout / frameworks: If you are working on a website, you may choose to add a basic framework or layout of how the site might be best represented
Explanations: Explain the elements you’ve added to the board and how they will work together in the final design.
Mood Board Example by Emily Holt